


A PRIMER OF 

JncALl o 



THE NEW HEALTH SERIES 

OF 

SCHOOL PHYSIOLOGIES 




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Class. 



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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THE NEW HEALTH SERIES OF SCHOOL PHYSIOLOGIES 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



PRACTICAL HYGIENE 

FOR PUPILS IN 

PRIMARY AND LOWER GRADES 



BY 



CHAELES H. STOWELL, M.D. 




SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY 

NEW YORK BOSTON CHICAGO 



QP37 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two CoDle*! Received 

MAY 29 1906 

Copyright Entry 
CLASS/ CL XXc, No. 

/i^ 7 c 3 7 

COPY B. 



CLASS/^ . 



Copyright, 1906, by 
SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY 



PREFACE 

This little book is intended for use in the early 
years of school life and has, therefore, been written 
in a style simple and easy enough to come within 
the comprehension of children in the primary 
grades. No school-child is too young to form right 
habits with regard to personal cleanliness, neatness 
in dress, and good manners, or to learn the simpler 
rules for the preservation of health — what foods are 
most wholesome, what clothing is most suitable, 
the necessity of pure air in schoolroom and sleeping- 
room, the value of proper exercise, and the dangers 
of over-exertion. It is the province of the teacher 
to see that the pupil is provided with the proper 
kind of desk and seat, but the child himself should 
be made to understand the difference between a 
right and a wrong position in sitting or standing, 
and the reasons why one will bring comfort and 
self-poise and the other discomfort and perhaps 
even deformity. 

Even during play-hours due attention should be 
given to hygienic rules. When a child learns to 
control and govern himself unconsciously in his 
sports, to the good of both himself and his play- 
mates, it cannot but make for better discipline in 
schoolroom and home. 

iii 



IV PREFACE 



Aware of the great harm that may result from 
the use of alcoholic beverages or tobacco, the author 
has included in this volume such facts relating to 
the effects of the'" habits as are adapted to the 
comprehension of very young children. The plain 
truths of science on these points have been treated 
without bias or exaggeration, and the book meets 
the requirements on these subjects as prescribed in 
several states of the Union for the teaching of 
physiology and hygiene in the public schools. 

The very cordial reception given to " A Primer 
of Health" has encouraged the author to present 
this revision, which contains all the distinctive 
features that contributed to the success of the first 
edition, treated in the light of still more recent 
scientific investigation. To the teachers of our 
country the author submits this volume, believing 
that the simple truths taught herein cannot fail, if 
properly applied, to help our boys and girls to 
develop physically, and at the same time mentally, 
into stronger and better men and women. 

Lowell, Mass., April, 1906. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Why we Eat 1 

II. Foods we Should Eat 6 

III. How WE Digest our Food 13 

IV. More about Digestion 21 

V. Eating and Drinking 25 

VI. The Blood 28 

VII. The Heart and the Blood Vessels .... 31 

VIII. Care of the Heart 38 

IX. Breathing 42 

X. Breathing and Health 47 

XI. Alcohol 53 

XII. Alcoholic Liquors 60 

XIII. The Effects of Alcohol 65 

XIV. Tobacco 69 

XV. Reasons why Boys should not Smoke 73 

XVI. The Muscles 76 

XVII. Exercise „ c « 81 

XVIII. The Clothing 86 



vi CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XIX. The Skin 91 

XX. The Bones 97 

XXI. The Skeleton and the Joints 100 

XXII. The Care of the Bones 108 

XXIII. The Brain, Spinal Cord, and Nerves .... 113 

XXIV. The Sense of Sight 120 

XXV. Smell, Taste, Touch, and Hearing .... 124 

INDEX 127 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



CHAPTER I 



WHY WE EAT 



The Growth of the Body. — 

You are miicli larger now 
than your baby brother or 
sister, yet you were once 
just as small. In a few years 
more you will be larger still, 
and after a while you will be 
^^ grown up/^ What is it 
that makes you grow so 
fast? Is it the air you 
breathe, or the water you 
drink? No, not entirely; 
you must have air and 
water, it is true, but you 
would not live long on them 




A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



alone. Let us think of the plants^ to see if 
we can find out what it is that makes them 
grow^ then^ perhaps^ you will more easily 
understand what makes you grow. 

Can you tell why it is that in a few years 
a small young tree will grow large enough 
for you to chmb? Would it grow if you 
should pull it up and place it on the floor in 
the house ? If you should^ its branches would 
never be strong enough to hold up a swing. 
Would the plants in the flower garden give 
you their beautiful flowers if you should pull 
them up by the roots? No^ indeed; they 
would soon lose their leaves and blossoms if 
they were so badly treated. 

We know that the trees and plants need 
something more than fresh air, water^ and 
sunlight. 

Food. — Notice how many roots the trees 
and plants have. The large roots^ with their 
little branches^ go down deep into the earth 
and take from it something necessary to the 
life of the leaves and flowers above the ground. 
What do the little roots find ? Food. What 



WHY WE EAT 



makes the trees and flowers grow? Food. 
What makes boys and girls grow to be strong 
men and women? Food. 

Will it make any difference what kind of 
food we give to the plant ? You say one per- 
son's plants always look fresh and thrifty^ 
while his next-door neighbor never has any 
luck with flowers. But it is not ^4uck.^^ One 
knows what kind of food to give his plants^ 
while the other does not. He know^s what soil 
is best for certain plants^ as well as how much 
sunlight and water are needed. Will it make 
any difference to boys and girls w^hat kind of 
food they have ? We shall see farther on. 

What a difference between the looks of the 
dark, damp soil and the beautiful violets ! 
Yet in some way the roots of the violet 
take food from the earth and change it^ so 
that the leaves are made to grow^ and the 
flowers to bloom. 

How is it with your own body and the food 
you eat ? Do they look anything alike ? 
Yet the food becomes changed^ in some w^ay^ 
into all the different parts of the body. 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



We have seen that the body needs food in 
order to grow. It has also other uses for 
food. Just think a moment. A full-grown 
person may eat heartily three times each day 
and never grow any taller or any more fleshy. 
Why does he eat food if it does not make 
him grow? 

Our Bodies Wear Out.— While you were 
waiting at the station^ did you ever see an 
engine standing there^ puffings puffing ? No- 
tice how carefully the engineer oils the 
joints and polishes the brass trimmings. 
Sooner or later^ though^ this great machine 
will wear out. It began to wear the very 
first time it moved; and now^ every little 
while^ the engineer is obliged to take away 
some badly worn piece and put a new one 
in its place. The engine wears out^ and has 
to be repaired. 

It is so with our bodies ; they are constantly 
wearing out. Every slight motion of the body 
causes a small amount of wear; while such 
active work as running and jumping causes 
the body to wear out much faster. 



WHY WE EAT 



Food for Repair. — Some one asks^ Why do 
we not waste all away if the body is con- 
stantly wearing out ? Because the body is 
repaired. The food we eat is changed into 
the parts of the body that are wearing out. 
In answer to our question^ Why do we eat ? 
you are now ready to answer : Because the 
food keeps the body in repair^ so that it will 
not waste away^ and because it makes the 
bodies of young people grow. 

The boys and girls for us are those who^ as 
they grow larger and older in body^ grow 
purer and truer in heart. 



CHAPTER II 



FOODS WE SHOULD EAT 




The Best Foods.— Since food becomes 
changed into our own bodies^ we should be 
very careful to eat only the best foods. Now 
the best foods are not always the most ex- 
pensive; indeed^ some of them are the 
cheapest. 

What is one of the best foods ? You all 
know the answer : milk. A better food can- 
not be imagined. Children live on it for 
years^ and many grown people use it freely. 
It is a much better food for young people 
than meat ; and it is a far better drink than 
tea or coffee. It is well for every boy and 



FOODS WE SHOULD EAT 



girl to have a large glass of pure milk three 
times a day. 

What other food do we usually eat three 
times a day? Bread and butter; it is a food 
nearly as valuable as milk. Eggs are per- 
haps the next best food^ only they should not 
be cooked too hard. Beef is a good food; it 




should be roasted or broiled and served rare. 
Mutton is also a good food ; but veal and 
pork are not so good. 

Fruit. — Some kind of fruit grows in nearly 
every part of the world. Birds feed it to their 
young and almost all animals except the flesh 
eaters like it. Boys and girls like fruit so 
well that they are apt to make themselves 
sick by eating too much of it^ or eating it 
when it is not in proper condition. A certain 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



amount of ripe fruit is good for us^ but we 
must be careful not to eat it when it is either 
unripe or over-ripe. 

Do we Need Sweets? — There are some 
things of which you should eat sparingly. 
You may guess the names of some of them^ — 
rich cakes and pies^ rich puddings, hot breads 
and pork. 

Did you ever hear of a boy or girl who did 
not like candy? It really seems that the 
desire for sweet things is a natural one. For 
this reason a proper amount of sugar should 
be used in the food. Kipe apples, peaches^ 
and oranges are sweet because they contain 
sugar. But if you do not have enough sugar 
in your food and in the fruit you eat, and you 
still desire something sweet, then ask mother 
for some home-made candy. You should re- 
member, however, that if you eat too much 
sugar, you may disturb the stomach and take 
away the appetite for good food. 

The Best Drink. — Is there anything that 
tastes better, when you are thirsty, than a 
glass of pure^ cool water ? Did you know that 



FOODS WE SHOULD EAT 



9 



a person will die sooner without water than 
he will Avithont food? What should we do 
without water ! How eagerly the horse and 
the doo^ drink it ! Notice how the birds bathe 




in it ! Even the plants love it^ for no matter 
how their leaves may droop in the hot sun^ 
the evening dew or the brisk shower brings 
back to them all their freshness and beauty. 

About three-fourths of the weight of the 
body is water; so that if you weigh eighty 
pounds, nearly sixty pounds of it is water. 



10 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

Ice-Water. — We take a large amount of 
water in our food^ but not enough to satisfy 
our thirst. We are obhged to take a great 
deal of water as drink. Yet we should never 
drink a large amount of ice-water with our 
meals. It is likely to chill the stomach and 
prevent it from doing its work properly. It 
is a dangerous practice to drink a glass of 
ice-cold water when the body is overheated. 
Cold water quenches thirst as well as ice-water^ 
and there is less danger in its use. 

But even cold water should be sipped slowly 
when the body is very warm. 

Pure Drinking Water. — It is very important 
that the water we drink should contain no 
impurities. People are often made ill by 
drinking water into which foul matter has 
found its way. Wells should always be at a 
distance from cesspools or stables. Streams 
that supply towns with water should never 
receive any kind of drainage in any part of 
their course. 

The Need of Salt. — Those of you who live 
in the country^ or have been there on a visit, 



FOODS WE SHOULD EAT 



11 



have seen the cows and the sheep come hurry- 
ing to answer the farmer's call. They hope he 
may have some salt for them. Watch how 
eagerly they eat it! It must be that these 




animals need salt, or thev would not be so 
anxious for it. We^ too^ need salt with our 
food. We would soon tire of many articles 
of food if no salt were added to them. 

The Bones Need Lime. — Feel the bones in 
your hand^ especially at the joints and 
knuckles. Notice how much harder bone is 



12 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

than the flesh around it. This is because bone 
is made largely of lime. When the body is 
growings the bones must be fed with lime. 
Where can you get this lime? You do not 
add it to the food as salt is added^ and yet you 
must have a great deal of it. This is the way 
it is obtained. The growing grass and the 
grain take lime from the soil. The cows eat 
the oTass and chanoe some of it into milk, and 
when you drink the milk you get the lime. 
We obtain the lime from the grains by grind- 
ing the wheat into flour and making the flour 
into bread. 

When there is not enough lime in the body 
the bones are soft and easily bent. The teeth 
also are soft and decay very easily. There- 
fore^ when the body is young and growing 
rapidly^ it should be supplied with plenty 
of lime. We have now given you another 
reason why bread and milk are so useful for 
young people. 



CHAPTER III 

HOW WE DIGEST OUR FOOD 




Choosing Meat. — Let ns sit down together 
for a good dinner. What meat will you 
take? We have beef and matton. Or you 
can have eggs if you prefer. We have no 
pork^ because^ if used at all^ it should be 
used only by those who work hard and are 
very stT'ong and hearty. You can have the 
beef or mutton either broiled^ boiled or 



14 



A PRIMEE OF HEALTH 



roasted. We do not fry them^ because frying 
makes them hard and greasy. 

Vegetables. — What vegetables will you 
have? There is a long hst from which we 




RAISING VEGETABLES IN A VACATION SCHOOL GARDEN 

might choose, but we will be satisfied to give 
you some potatoes^ thoroughly cooked ; toma- 
toes^ raw or cooked ; and some rice that has 
been cooked until it is soft. 

Hot Bread. — Would you like some hot 
bread? We cannot give it to you at our 



HOW WE DIGEST OUR FOOD 



15 



table^ because, when fresh and hot^ it often 
causes trouble with the stomach. But you 
may have cold bread and fresh butter. It is 
a valuable food, and you will 
find that it tastes good. 

Spices. — Just a little salt, 
did you say? Yes, a trifle, — 
enough to give a good flavor 
to the food. Not any pepper, 
or at least you must be satis- 
fied with very, very little. 
Too many spices, like pep- 
per, cloves and cinnamon, are 
not good for the stomach. 

What to Drink. — Now, what will you have 
to quench your thirst? Hot tea or coffee? 
Iced tea or cold lemonade? No, indeed, 
none of these ; for very hot and very cold 
drinks, especially at meal-time, are injurious. 
Then, too, neither tea nor coffee is good for 
the growing body. So we will offer you a 
glass of cold water and another glass of milk ; 
or if you prefer, you can take a second glass 
of milk in place of the meat. 




16 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

For Dessert. — Are you already anxious for 
your dessert? We have a delicious boiled 
custard to offer you today. Some days we 
have light puddings^ but we do not believe 
much in rich pastries. 

We will now close our dinner with a little 

fru4t and a few 

^ m. ^^^^ nuts. Acid fruits 

^Rk J^mI^P ^^^ better eaten at 

^' ^ ^ ^^Slfl^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^ ^ meal^ 
%^l ^^, ^^^r as they make the 

\ ^m^^. digestion of 

starchy foods more 
^' /' v\ ^-4^ difficult if taken at 

^i^k ' the b e o; i n nin o\ 

Sweet grapes^ ber- 
ries^ or melons may be eaten before breakfast 
if Ave like them and if we find that they 
agree with us. 

Other Foods. — There are other good articles 
of food^ such as oysters^ chicken^ turkey^ 
celery^ and cooked fruits. But pork^ sausage, 
salt meats^ lobsters^ cucumbers, and pickles 
we would rather not pass to you. 



HOW WE DIGEST OUR FOOD 17 

The Beginning of Digestion. — AYe have now 
been some time at the table^ for we eat slowly 
and talk cheerfully while we eat. Unpleasant 
topics should never be brought up at the 
table^ for when the mind is disturbed diges- 
tion does not go on well. 

Let us now see what has taken place w^hile 
we were eating. As soon as we place some 
solid food in the mouth and beo^in to chew, 
Vvhat happens? There comes into the mouth 
a juice which moistens and mixes with the 
food so that it can be swallowed easily. This 
juice is called the saliva. 

Chewing the Food. — Why did you chew the 
solid food? Why not swallow it in large 
pieces instead of crushing and grinding it 
with the teeth? Because the soUd food must 
be in small pieces when it reaches the stom- 
achy or there is danger that the stomach will 
not do its work well. One of the most com- 
mon causes of stomach trouble is that the 
food is not chewed so fine as it should be. 

Our Tools for Chewing. — Can you tell how 
many teeth there are in the first set? Just 



18 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



ten in each jaw. But at five or six years of 
age these begin to loosen; they either fall oiit^ 
or are pulled^ and the second set appears. 
When we have all the teeth of the second set^ 
there are sixteen in each jaw. Some of the 
teeth^ the front ones^ are sharp for cutting, 




Fig. 1. Teeth from the second or permanent set. 1, a front 
tooth; 2, an eye-tooth; 3, back teeth from the lower jaw, 4, back 
teeth from the upper jaw. 

while the back teeth are for grinding and 
crushing. 

Care of the Teeth. — Did you ever have a 
tooth pulled^ or suffer from the toothache? 
Not very pleasant, was it? We should try 
to keep our second teeth all our lives. A 
few simple rules may aid us in doing 
this : — 

1. Do not crack nuts between the teeth, or 
bite other things that are very hard. 



HOW WE DIGEST OUR FOOD 19 

2. Do not pick them with any hard sub- 
stance^ hke a pin. 

3. Clean them with a soft brush, at least 
once each day. 

4. As soon as a cavity appears^ or if a tooth 
aches^ consult a dentist. 

Drinking with the Meals. — If the bread you 
are eating is a little dry^ do not wash it down 
with a large quantity of water. Eat more 
slowly and take but little water. A single 
glass of water should be enough for any one 
meal. If that is not enough drink for the 
warmest weather, then you would better 
quench the thirst before going to the table, 
rather than wait until seated and then drink 
too much with the food. 

Swallowing. — What do you do with a mouth- 
ful of food after you have thoroughly chewed 
it ? " Sw^allow it/^ you say. Perhaps you have 
never thought that there was anything very 
curious about swallowing, but there is. Lead- 
ing down the throat are two passages. 
Through one of these the air reaches the 
lungs. This passage you can feel at the front 



20 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

of the throat. It is called the windpipe. The 
other is farther back and through it the food 
passes into the stomach. 

The Windpipe. — Why does not the food go 
down the windpipe and choke us ? Because 
over the top of the windpipe is a little lid 
which opens when we breathe^ and shuts 
down tight when we swallow. Sometimes 
the lid does not shut quite quick enough^ and 
we are choked. You say you have swallowed 
something the wrong way^ but this rarely 
happens. This little lid works so well that^ 
when we swallow^ the food goes directly down 
into the stomach. 



CHAPTER IV 



MORE ABOUT DIGESTION 



Dissolving the Food. — A lump of sugar is 
dry and hard ; but what happens if you drop 
it in a couple of spoonfuls of water? It 
first softens^ then melts^ and mixes with the 
w^ater until you can no longer see it. We say 
the sugar is dissolved in the water. 

The food we eat must all be dissolved before 
it can be of use to the body. This dissolving 
is a large part of the work which is called 
digestion. It begins in the mouth. 

The bread you take into your mouth may 
be hard and dry^ but as you chew it^ it is 
moistened and softened by the sahva of the 
mouth. Then it is swallowed and goes to the 
stomach to be further moistened^ dissolved 
and otherwise changed. 

The Gastric Juice. — How does the stomach 
change the food ? By means of a juice^ called 



22 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



the gastric juice. As soon as the food reaches 
the stomach it mixes with this juice which 
the stomach makes. This is a very powerful 

juice^ for it dis- 
solves a large part 
of the food^ and 
changes it all so 
much that it does 
not look at all as 
it did before it 
was eaten. 

The Intestines. 
— After the food 
leaves the stom- 
ach it passes out 
into the intestines^ 
where it meets 
other juices that 
finish the work 
of the stomach. 
If you will look at Fig. 2, you will see how 
the long tube of the small intestine is 
so coiled that it takes but little room. 
The larger tube shown is the large intes- 




Fig. 2. 1, The stomach 
are the intestines. 



Below this 



MORE ABOUT DIGESTION 23 

tiue, through which waste matter passes 
out of the body. 

How do you suppose the digested food 
passes from the intestines into the blood ? In 
this way: In the walls of the intestines are 
many blood vessels ; and the food^ which is 
now thin like water^ soaks through the walls 
and into these blood vessels^ mixes with the 
bloody and soon becomes a part of it. You 
will learn later how the blood carries the food 
to all parts of the body. 

Digestion Reviewed. — Let us see if you can 
give a review of this story of digestion : — 

Firsts the food is chewed. Second, it is 
swallowed. Third, it is mixed in the stomach 
with the gastric juice. Fourth^ it passes out 
into the intestines. Fifth, in the intestines it 
is further changed and then soaks through 
the walls of the blood vessels and mixes with 
the blood. 

You can see that it is not what we eat, but 
what we digest^ that gives us health and 
strength. Young people are generally so 
healthy that they pay little attention to what 



24 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

they eat or drink. But they will not always 
enjoy such health if they repeatedly break 
certain laws. 

Do you think you could keep well if you 
should w^ork all the time and never stop for 
rest? Then how^ can you expect your stomach 
to keep strong if you make it w^ork constantly^ 
as it must if you eat between meals? 

Do not eat between meals. 

Do not eat in a hurry. 

Do not eat too rich food. 

Do not eat just before going to bed. 

Do not drink much ice-water or iced tea 
wdth your meals. 

Do not drink or eat anything that has in it 
wine^ beer^ cider^ or any liquor containing 
alcohol. 

Do not be fretful and cross. Cheerfulness 
at table increases the appetite and aids diges- 
tion. In many homes the children are en- 
couraged to tell at the dinner table each day 
the good stories and jokes that they hear. 



CHAPTER V 



EATING AND DRINKING 



We have learned that if we wish to keep 
strongs the stomach must do its work well. 

Some Foods to Avoid. — There are many 
things that harm the stomach. Eating miripe 
fruity or too much rich food^ often causes pain 
and severe stomach trouble. In fact^ we have 
known persons to be very ill from rapidly 
drinking a large amount of ice-water w^hen 
they were over-heated. Most of you are 
probably very fond of ice cream^ yet if you 
eat too heartily of it you may suffer severely. 
These facts teach us that we must use knowl- 
edge and judgment in eating and in drinking. 

Some Drinks to Avoid. — We should know^ 
too, that there are drinks which are not fyood 
for the stomach. They make the inside of 
the stomach red^ or inflamed^ and act on the 
gastric juice so that it cannot digest the food 



26 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

as it should. What are these drmks? They 
are wine^ beer^ cider, ale^ riim^ and all other 
drinks containing alcohol^ which you will 
learn more about in another lesson. 

Some people never take enough wine to get 
intoxicated^ but they drink a glass or two 
Avith each meal. If we should ask one of them 
why he does so, he would probably reply 
that the drink helped his stomach to digest 
the food. He may have some trouble with 
his stomach; and he thinks the strong drink 
will help him. This is a mistaken idea. If 
such people would throw away all kinds of 
drink containing alcohol^ eat only plain^ simple 
food^ exercise in the open air^ and live rightly 
in other ways^ it is probable that the trouble 
with their stomachs would soon pass away. 

Tea and Coffee. — If boys and girls expect 
to keep in sound healthy they must not form 
the habit of drinking tea or coffee. Nothing 
can take the place of pure water and pure 
milk. 

Tobacco and Digestion. — A great many per- 
sons say they are obliged to smoke after eat- 



EATING AND DRINKING 27 

ing^ for if they do not^ their food does not 
digest well. This is very bad reasonings for 
the use of the tobacco itself often disturbs 
the digestion of the food. So smoking only 
makes a bad matter worse. A better thing 
for these persons would be to stop using to- 
bacco altogether^ but still better advice is : 
Never begin to use tobacco. For after one be- 
gins it is hard to let it alone^ even when he 
finds that it is doing him harm. 



CHAPTER Yl 



THE BLOOD 



How Trees are Fed. — Were you ever out in 
the woods where they make maple sugar? 
If so^ you know that a small hole is bored 
into the maple-tree^ and from this there flows a 
clear fluids which is called sap. This does not 
flow in a large stream^ but only drop by drop. 
Now this sap is on its way from the tender 
roots of the tree to the little branches and 
leaves far above ; it contains the food which 
makes the tree grow larger and taller. 

Our Food Carrier. — Some time when you 
walk out into the country^ see if you can find 
a plant called the milkweed ; if so^ break a 
large stem of it and notice what a thick^ 
white juice comes from the end. This juice 
contains the food which makes the plant 
grow. Suppose you prick the end of your 
finger with a needle^ what happens? A fluid 



THE BLOOD 



29 



appears. This fluid is not clear, like the sap 
of the maple, nor white, like the juice of the 
milkweed, but it has a bright red color. 
What is the name of it? Blood. 

The Blood. — The food that your stomach 
has digested goes to make up the blood. All 
parts of the body need 
blood as much as the 
tree needs sap, or the 
milkweed its white 
juice. Can you cut 
through the skin any- 
where without causing 
the blood to flow? 

Fig. 3. Human blood as seen 
No, indeed, for it is with a microscope. 

freely distributed throughout the body. 
But there are a few places, for instance, the 
hair, the nails, and the outer part of the skin, 
in which there is no blood. 

What Makes It Red?— The blood would 
look clear like water were it not for some 
very minute bodies floating in it. These 
little bodies are flat and round, yet so small 
that thousands and thousands of them could 




30 A PRIMEK OF HEALTH 

be placed side by side on the head of a 
pin. We know there are many milHons of 
them in a single drop of blood. We often 
compare these little bodies to tiny boats^ for 
they float in the blood, and carry what is 
needed from one part of the body to another. 
The color of these bodies is what gives the 
color to the blood. Ill Fig. 3 you can see 
how they look. Sometimes they make the 
blood appear a bright red color. Then again 
they make it much darker, a purplish red 
color. 

Have you ever noticed how pale some per- 
sons are when in poor health? Their blood is 
not as red as it should be, or perhaps there is 
not enough of it. We are always glad to see 
boys and girls come in from play with red 
cheeks ; we are sorry to see them with pale 
faces, for we know then that they are not in 
the best of health. 



CHAPTER VII 



THE HEART AND THE BLOOD VESSELS 




How the Heart Works. — Did you ever send 
a stream of water through the rubber tube of 
a bulb syringe by pressing the bulb ? When 
you squeeze the bulb you press out the water 
that is in it. When you stop squeezing^ the 
bulb fills up again wdth w^ater. 

If you put your hand on your chest you 
will feel the motion of something that acts 
very much like the bulb of a syringe^ only no 



32 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 




one has to press this ; it squeezes together of 
itself. You say this is your heart. Every 
time the heart beats it squeezes itself up 
smaller and forces out the blood that was in 

it. Then it stops 
squeezing^ en- 
larges^ and fills up 
again with blood. 
Location and 
Size of the Heart. 
— The heart is a 
large hollow mus- 

J'l ^\?' P^^J[^\^f^he heart. (1) ^^^ J^ -^ sltuated 
ihe breast-bone. ine heart is the pear- 
shaped body, shown in black, beneath the in the cliest be- 

breast-bone. 

tween the lungs. 
If you look at Fig. 4^ you will get an idea of 
the location of the heart. A good deal of the 
heart is directly beneath the breast-bone. A 
part of it is to the right of that bone ; but 
the lower point of the heart is well over on 
the left side^ and it is on the left side that we 
feel its beat. 

Although the heart does so much work^ yet 
it is not much larger than your closed fist. It 



THE HEART AND THE BLOOD VESSELS 



33 



is shaped somewhat hke a pear^ with the 
small end down and to the left. The shape is 
well shown in Fig. 5. This figure also shows 
how the large blood vessels^ through which 
the blood flows 
to and from the 
hearty enter and 
leave it. 

Howthe Heart 
is Divided. — We 
have spoken of 
the heart as hol- 
low^ but there is 
more than one 
cavity in it. In 
the first place a 
firm wall^ or partition^ divides the heart into 
two parts^ making the right side and the left 
side of the heart. This wall is so complete 
that not a particle of blood can go directly 
from one side of the heart to the other. 

One of these days^ you may learn how the 
large cavity on each side of the heart is 
divided into two cavities^ so that really there 




Fig. 5. The heart, and the large blood- 
vessels at its upper part. 



34 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



are four cavities in the hearty two for each side. 
But we w^ill ask you to remember now only that 
there are two sides to the heart, and that the 

blood cannot go 
directly from one 
side to the other. 
The right side 
of the heart al- 
ways contains the 
dark blood; and 
the left side, the 
bright red blood. 
Arteries and 
Veins. — Look at 

Fig. 6. This illustrates the firm wall tllC firC Cnoine at 

which divides the heart into two parts. it* 

The wall is shown by the dotted line be- WOrk. it IS a great 

tween the figures 1 and 2; 1 and 3 make -i • y. ,-, ^.^ y^ TliP 

the right side of the heart, 2 and 4 the ^^^ pump. ±liU 

^^^^ ^^^^- water goes into 

the engine through a pipe^ which is fastened to 
a hydrant or placed in a cistern. How does the 
water leave the engine? By means of another 
pipe. The blood enters the hearty which is the 
pump of the body^ and leaves it again through 
soft tubes^ or pipes^ called blood vessels. 




THE HEART AND THE BLOOD VESSELS 



35 



The blood vessels carrying the blood from 
the heart are called arteries, and those carry- 
ing the blood to the heart 
are called veins. The 
arteries carry the bright 
blood, and the veins the 
dark blood. The bright 
blood in the arteries is 
the purest. 

Are all the blood vessels 
of the same size ? Most 
certainly not. Those 
nearest the heart are the 
largest; and as we exam- 
ine the vessels farther and 
farther from the heart, we 
notice that they become 
smaller and smaller. Fig. 
7 shows how one large 
artery starts from the 
heart, H, then, bending 
upon itself, goes down the 
body by the side of the backbone 




Fig. 7. H, the heart ; N, 
the neck ; D, the lower part 
of the chest ; A, the hips. . 
The large blood vessels 
carry blood to the following 
parts : 1, to the head ; 2, 
to the arms ; 3, to the legs. 



Notice, 



too, how it gives off many branches on its 



36 A PRIMER OP HEALTH 

way. Some of these (1) go to the head, car- 
rymg food to the bram ; others (2) go to the 
arms, taking food to the muscles ; while other 
large branches (3) go to the legs. Now just 
imagine how, in this way, great numbers of lit- 
tle branches carry 
food to all parts of 
the body. 

The Pulse. — Have 
you ever been so ill 
that a physician 
came to see you ? 
And did he place 
his fino^ers on the 

Fig. 8. A, a small artery; C, small ji i • i n 

b]ood vessels (called capillaries), very th^lllb Side of JOlir 
much enlarged; V, a small vein. AVrisf ^^ to fppl the 

pulse ^^ ? What was this for ? Because the doc- 
tor wished to know how many times a minute 
your heart was beating. Each time the heart 
beats it sends out blood into the arteries, and 
this makes them swell out, or throb. All of 
the arteries throb in this way, but most of 
them lie so far below the surface of the body 
that we cannot feel the throb. You can very 




THE HEART AND THE BLOOD VESSELS 37 

easily feel one artery throb at the wrist, and 
you can feel another by gently pressing the 
fingers over the side of the neck. 

The Branching of the Blood Vessels. — Look 
at Fig. 8 and notice how many times the 
artery, A, divides. It divides again and again 
until there is a perfect network of fine blood 
vessels, as shown at C. Notice^ too^ how these 
small blood vessels come together again until 
quite a large vein is formed at V. From this 
we learn that there is a fine network of small 
blood vessels throughout the body. 

Let us now take a brief review of this les- 
son. First of all there is a little pump which 
we call the heart. When this is filled with 
blood it suddenly becomes smaller^ pushing 
the bright blood through the arteries. This 
makes the arteries throb or pulsate. The 
arteries take the blood to the smallest blood 
vessels, these take it to the veins, and the 
veins take it directly back to the heart. 



CHAPTER YIII 



CARE OF THE HEART 



Overworking the Heart. — What would you 
think of an engineer who did not know 
enough about the needs of his engine to keep 
it in good order ; or if he knew how to do it^ 
would not take the trouble? You would say 
he was unfit to be trusted with the care of an 
engine. The lieart will do its work with 
much less care than an engine requires^ yet it 
is an easy matter to put it out of order^ or 
to throw so much unnecessary work upon it 
that it wears out before its time. 

If you run or jump the roi3e until you feel 
^^^eady to drop/^ or if you race on your bicy- 
cle^ or push it up a steep hill until you are out 
of breath and red in the face and your heart 
thumps so that you can feel it^ you are then 
a bad engineer^ not caring properly for the 
precious engine that has been trusted to your 



CARE OF THE HEART 39 

keeping. By such overstraining people have 
so injured their hearts that they have been 
caused much trouble before regaining their 
full strength. 

Yet exercise is good for the heart because it 
helps to keep the blood moving. One may be 
so lazy or spend so much time sitting still that 
the heart will have to do more than its share 
in keeping up the circulation. Children who 
are fond of out-door sports^ or those who 
work and play in the open air until they are 
comfortably tired when night comes^ get 
about the right amount of exercise. 

Clothing that pinches any part of the body 
uncomfortably or presses too hard upon the 
blood vessels should not be worn, for it is 
then difficult for the blood to get through the 
blood vessels. A daily bath^ on the other 
hand, helps to keep the blood vessels healthy. 

Self Control. — A bad temper is almost as 
dangerous for the heart as overstraining at 
play. Anger that causes the face to redden 
or to turn pale^ causes also sudden changes m 
the beating of the heart that do it harm. 



40 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

Thus the person who gets in the habit of los- 
ing his temper over httle troubles is a bad 
engineer for the little pump inside his breast. 
He is a disagreeable companion as well. 

Did you ever see a man who had used a 
great deal of strong drink for a number of 
years ? If so^ you probably noticed that he 
had red eyes^ red cheeks^ and a red nose. 
What does this show ? That there is trouble 
with the blood vessels of these parts. There 
is too much blood in them. 

Palpitation. — Have you ever run or played 
so hard that you could scarcely get your 
breath? If so^ did you notice that your 
heart beat very fast and hard ? Almost pain- 
ful^ was it not ? Sometimes the heart will 
beat in this way when we are greatly fright- 
ened. This rapid and violent beating of the 
heart is called palpitation. 

Cigarettes and the Heart. — Boys have this 
palpitation of the heart from another cause — 
that is from smokmg cigarettes. Boys who 
smoke often have these sudden attacks of 
rapid and violent action of the heart. The 



CARE OF THE HEART 41 

heart beats very fast^ then slower^ then faster 
again. There is sometimes a faint and sick- 
ening feehng^ with sharp pain in the left side. 
The doctors call this an ^^ irritable heart/^ or 
a ^^ tobacco heart. ^^ It may lead to very 
serious results. 

No boy who smokes cigarettes or uses to- 
bacco in any form is preparing to become a 
strongs healthy man. 



CHAPTER IX 



BREATHING 



Where the Blood is Blue, — Look at the back 
of your hand or at your wrist. You see some 
blue lines. Perhaps you already know that 
these blue lines are blood vessels. But why do 
they look blue^ when the blood is red ? For 
the same reason that muddy water looks dif- 
ferent from clear water. It has impurities in 
it which it must get rid of before it will look 
clear again. So the bluish-red blood which 
you see in your veins has impurities in it 
which it must get rid of before it will look 
bright red again. We may speak of this 
impure blood as blue^ but we must remember 
that the color is not a real dark blue^ but a 
dark bluish-red. 

" But/^ you say^ '' if I cut or prick a vein 
in my hand and let a drop of blood out, it 
looks red!^^ Yes^ as soon as the air touches 



BREATHING 43 

the dark blood some of the hnpurities pass off 
and something from the air passes in and 
makes it red again. 

Where is the Blood Purified? — We cannot 
let all the blood in our veins out into the air 
to be purified^ but there is a place in our 
bodies where the blood can get so close to the 
air that the impurities can pass out. 

Where is this place ? Not on the back of 
the hand^ for there a thick skin^ besides the 
heavy coats of the blood vessels^ is between the 
blood and the air. Nor would it do to have 
such a place anywhere on the outside of the 
body^ for a slight touch might let the blood 
come pouring out. So we see that this place 
must be inside of the body. 

Put one hand on your knee and one on your 
chest. Which hand remains perfectly quiet ? 
Which is moved gently up and down ? What 
causes the hand on your chest to move ? Take 
up the hand from your knee and with it pinch 
your nose and shut your lips tightly together; 
does the hand on your chest move up and 
down now? Why not? 



44 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

What is constantly passing in and out of 
your nose? Where does the air go when you 
breath it in? Down into your chesty into a 
part of the body called the lungs. That is the 
place Avhere the air and the blood get so 
close together that the impurities in the blood 
can pass off and something else which the 
body needs pass into the blood. Now you 
w^ould like to know how the lungs look. 

The Lungs. — You may think of a lung as 
made of a number of little sacs. The walls of 
these sacs are thinner than tissue paper. 

There are also in the lungs many little 
blood vessels which have very thin coats. 
They almost cover the walls of each of the 
little air sacs. Here the air in the air sacs 
and the blood in the blood vessels come close 
together because there are only these very 
thin walls between them. So some of the air 
mixes with the blood and quickly changes its 
dark color to a bright red. 

From this we learn that the blood obtains 
fresh air in the lungs. Does it give anything 
in exchange for this air ? Yes. It gives up 



BREATHING 



45 



many impurities gathered from all parts of 
the body. 

When we breathe out the air^ these im- 
purities escape. If all this be true^ do you 
think we should 
breathe the same air 
over and over again? 

What Breathing 
Does. — We will now 
review the story 
about breathing. 
Let us think what 
the two changes are 
that occur in the 
blood when it is in 
the lungs. First^ it 
obtains a supply of fresh air which changes 
its color; and second^ it gives up many im- 
purities which pass from it to the air. After 
the blood is thus purified^ where does it go ? 
It flows back to the heart. 

Where does the heart send the pure^ bright 
blood? To every part of the body. Where 
does it send the impure^ dark blood ? To the 




Fm. 9. The lungs ; and the wind- 
pipe, which carries the air from the 
throat to the lungs. 



46 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

lungs. What are the lungs for ? They give 
fresh air to the bloody and take impurities 
from it. 

Did you ever see a physician place his ear 
over the chest to find out whether the lungs 
were healthy or not ? He is able to tell this, 
because when the air passes into and out of 
the lungs, it makes certain sounds, which he 
will always hear if the lungs are in a healthy 
condition. 

Do you think the lungs work all the time ? 
You know we never stop breathing, not even 
at night. Yet, by watching your breathing, 
you will notice that there is a little time of 
rest between two breaths. But the lungs 
work hard, and we should give them plenty 
of room and a good supply of fresh air. 



CHAPTER X 

BREATHING AND HEALTH 

Can you give a good reason why we 
should have plenty of fresh air about us all 
the time? Because the air we breathe out 
contains many impurities^ and certainly we 
do not wish to take these back into the 
body. 

The Lungs Need Room. — Can you expect 
the lungs to do their work well without plenty 
of room ? Nature has given them all the 
room they need^ but some persons wear their 
clothes so tight around the waist^ that they 
make the lower part of the chest very small. 
Such persons cannot take a long^ deep breath. 
How can you expect the body to grow and 
to develop^ if it be bound tightly in this way ? 
Tight lacing crowds many organs out of place^ 
and sooner or later injures the health. Give 
the lungs plenty of room. 



48 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

The Need of Fresh Air. — How can you tell 
when the air about you is impure ? It is not 
always possible to do so; but it is likely to 
be impure if it has a disagreeable odor^ or if 
it has been shut up in a room for some time^ or 
if many persons have been in a closed room. 

The pure^ fresh^ out-door air is what we 
need ; it is the air in our houses and public 
buildings that is likely to be impure. It is 
not healthy to stay in a room and breathe 
the same air over and over again. The air 
can easily be changed by raising the lower 
sash of one window and lowering the upper 
sash of another. In churches and in all large 
buildings there should always be some special 
arrangement for changing the air. 

Air in Sleeping Rooms. — Some people seem 
to think that it is only necessary to have 
fresh air in the daytime^ and they pay no 
attention to their sleeping rooms. But 
breathing goes on at night just as well as 
during the day. Therefore^ our sleeping rooms 
should have a constant supply of fresh air. 
Never sleep in a tightly closed room. 



BREATHING AND HEALTH 



49 



In winter there should be an open grate, or 
a ventilator, or some way of changing the air. 
During the warm nights of summer the win- 
dows can be opened wide ; and even during 
the cold nights of winter it is safe for people 




Exercise in the Open Air is Best. 

who are well to have the windows open an 
inch or two. 

In the morning open wide the windows of 
your sleeping rooms and let in the fresh out- 
door air. Leave them open a good part of 
the day, for there is nothing better than fresh 
air to make one sleep well. 



50 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

Bad Air Makes Us Dull. — Did you ever 
know a boy or a girl who could run very hard 
in playtime^ and yet grew very dull and sleepy 
in the schoolroom ? The school is not a good 
place in which to sleep or to have a head- 
ache. What is the matter with our dull 
scholar? Sometimes pupils become dull 
because the air in the schoolroom is not good. 
Let in plenty of pure air; there is nothing 
equal to it for making one love to study. 

Draughts. — While so much has been said 
about breathing pure out-door air^ yet it may 
be overdone. We must learn to be careful 
in this as in all other things. We should 
avoid currents of air. If a current of air — a 
draughty as it is called — should strike you on 
the back of the neck^ it might cause a severe 
cold. If you have been playing hard and the 
body is moist^ you should be especially care- 
ful to avoid all currents of air. 

Breathing Tobacco Smoke. — Some persons 
are very careful to have pure air in every 
room of their houses^ and yet they will often 
make it very impure by smoking cigars. 



BREATHING AND HEALTH 51 

There are many people who greatly dislike 
the odor of tobacco smoke^ and some people 
are made ill by it^ yet it is often-times impos- 
sible to escape breathing the air thus selfishly 
poisoned by smokers. 

Do you think it is any wonder that hot 
tobacco smoke injures the throat and lungs? 
Smokers often have a dry^ hacking cough^ 
w^hile the " smoker's sore throat ^^ is very com- 
mon. There is no cure for these troubles 
unless the use of tobacco be given up 
altogether. Inhaling the smoke^ or drawing 
it into the lungs is very injurious. How can 
one escape all these dangers? By refusing 
to begin the use of tobacco. 

Alcohol and the Lungs. — People who use 
alcoholic drinks are very liable to coughs and 
colds. In fact^ all forms of lung trouble are 
more severe in those who use alcoholic 
drinks. 

Persons who have been chilled by bathings 
or in some other way^ often take some alco- 
holic liquor. They say they do this " to pre- 
vent taking cold,^' . This is a mistake ; for the 



52 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

effect of alcohol is to lower the temperature 
of the body. A far better way Avheii chilled 
from bathing is to rub the surface of the body 
thoroughly with a towel^ until the skin is 
warm and red. If chilled in any other way^ 
drink a cup of hot water^ or some hot ginger 
tea. 



CHAPTER XI 



ALCOHOL 



Fresh Fruits. — The writer remembers very 
well liow^ when a boy, he used to watch for 
the first ripe apples^ ancl^ later in the year^ 
how he waited for the ripening of the grapes. 
How he loved to eat those fruits! It seems 
too bad that the juices of delicious sweet 
fruits like these can be so changed as to cause 
great injury to those who drink them. Yet 
we know that from these fruits such strong 
drinks as wine and brandy are made. 

Is there anything in these fresh fruits that 
makes them so powerful to do harm ? No^ 
indeed; but when the juice is pressed out and 
allowed to stand the change soon begins. 

Apple Juice and Cider. — If you should press 
the juice from some ripe sweet apples^ what 
would you have? You would have apple 
juice^ which is chiefly a mixture of water and 



54 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

sugar^ and flavoring matter. This is called 
cider. Now suppose you take this cider and 
expose it to the warm air for a few hours^ 
then go and look at it. What will you see ? 
Small bubbles coming to the top. 

Alcohol Comes from Sugar. — When these bub- 
bles appear^ you say the cider is workings or 
fermenting. Is the cider still sweet to the 
taste ? Not so sweet as it was at first ; the 
sugar is beginning to disappear. ^^How can 
it disappear/^ do you ask ? It is being 
changed into a gas and alcohol. The gas 
escapes in the form of the bubbles which you 
see ; but the alcohol remains in the cider. 

So we learn that alcohol is made from the 
sugar which is in the apples; in the same way 
alcohol is made from the sugar in grapes and 
other fruits. 

Now^ alcohol is a poison; and it is the al- 
cohol in all the strong drinks which makes 
them so injurious. Any drink containing 
alcohol is dangerous^ and should not be used. 
Alcohol may not kill at once those who use 
only a little at a time ; yet it is a poison that 



ALCOHOL ' 55 

has power to injure the healthy cause many 
diseases^ and shorten hfe. It is also true 
that some persons have been killed at once 
by taking it in large doses. 

The Work of the Ferments. — You may be 
wondering what makes the sugar that is in the 
ripe fruits change into gas and alcohol. Have 
you ever been in a darkened room and looked 
at a ray of sunlight as it entered ? If so^ you 
saw fine particles of dust dancing in the light. 
These seemed very small^ did they not ? Yet 
there are still smaller particles of matter float- 
ing everywhere in the air^ smaller than we 
can see with the unaided eye. 

There are many kinds of these tiny particles, 
and among them are some called ferments. 
Many of these ferments fall from the air upon 
the stems and skins of the fruit. When the 
juice of the fruits is pressed out these ferments 
are washed into it. Do you think, just be- 
cause they are so small they can do nothing? 
If so, you are mistaken. They can change 
the sugar of sweet liquids into alcohol. You 
can see when the ferments are at work chang- 



56 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

ing the sugar^ by the bubbles that come to 
the surface. 

Floating Ferments. — The ferments are very 
numerous^ and of many different kinds. They 
float about in the air^ not only lighting on the 
skins and stems of the fruits, but falling into 
mixtures which may be exposed to the air. 
^^Then/^ you ask^ ^^ if we could only keep 
these little ferments away from the sweet 
mixtures^ the sugar would not change to 
alcohol^ would it?^^ No; the sugar would 
remain in its natural condition. 

Why We Can Fruit. — The ferments that are 
washed into fruit juice when it is pressed out 
may be killed by boiling. Then, if the juice 
be bottled up so tightly that no more ferments 
can get into it from the air^ the sugar will not 
be changed. Now you understand why can- 
ning fruit will keep it sweet and good. No 
ferments can pass through the tightly sealed 
cans or jars to the sweet juices within. 

You all know that dry sugar does not 
change in this way. AVhy is this ? Because 
the sugar must first be dissolved^ to make 



ALCOHOL 



57 



a sweet liquid in which the ferments can 
work. 

Making Sugar from Grain. — Some boy says^ 
" I thought beer was made from barley^ and 
whiskey from corn. 
Certainly there is no 
sugar in these dry 
grains ! ^^ No^ they do 
not taste sweety but 
there is something in 
them which can be 
changed into sugar. 
Let us explain this^ 
and you will see how 
it is brought about. 

Did you ever break 
open a kernel of corn 
or cut into a grain of 
barley ? Bring a ker- 
nel of corn with you to 
school and show your schoolmates how" beau- 
tiful and white the inside is. This is the 
corn starchy with which you are all so familiar. 

How can this starch ever become alcohol? 




Corn Stalk. 



58 



A PKIMEIl OF HEALTH 



Well, in the first place^ it must be changed 
mto sugar; and we know already how the 
ferments change sugar^ when dissolved in 
water, into alcohol. 

Do YOU know what would happen to the 
corn and barley if you should 
moisten them and keep them in 
a warm place ? Certainly^ every 
boy and girl knows the kernels 
would soon sprout and begin to 
grow. As they sprout and grow^ 
the starch changes to sugar. So 
here we are at last^ with sugar 
from our corn and barley. 

Beer Making. — The brewer 
takes the corn and barley^ and adds water 
to them until they begin to grow^ when he 
knows that their starch is changed into sugar. 
He then grinds the grains or breaks them to 
pieces^ and adds water to the ground mass. 
Soon the water dissolves out the sugar^ and 
thus at last there is a sweet liquid. Then 
the brewer adds some yeasty which is a 
kind of ferment. The yeast changes the 




ALCOHOL 59 

sugar of the sweet liquid into gas and 
alcohol. 

Why do not the ferments change sugar 
into alcohol while it is in the ripe fruits ? 
Because the skins of the apples and other 
fruits will not allow the ferments to reach the 
sweet juices within them. 



CHAPTER XII 

ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS 

Is there Alcohol in Apples ? — How many of 
you have ever eaten apples ? Did you think 
it wrong to swallow the juice of the apples ? 
Most certainly not. Yet you know cider is 
made from the juice of apples^ and w^e shall 
^ee that cider is a dangerous drink. 

What^ tlien^ is the difference between the 
juice that is pressed from the apple at the 
mill^ and that w^liich you press from the apple 
by your own teetli ? The difference is that 
there is no alcohol in the juice you get when 
you eat the apple^ but alcohol soon forms in 
the juice that comes from the mill. 

Alcohol in Pressed Apple Juice. — After ap- 
ple juice has been pressed out and left ex- 
posed to the warm air for a few hours^ it 
begins to ferment; and as the bubbles rise^ 
we know that alcohol is being formed. 



ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS 61 

Why Cider is Harmful. — As soon as cider 
contains alcohol it is no longer a harmless 
drink. Alcohol nsug^lly begins to form in 
sweet cider within about six hours after the 
cider is made. As the ferments^ day after 
day^ change more of the sugar to alcohol^ the 
cider is said to be growing ^4iard.^^ 

The person who begins to drink from a 
barrel of cider when it first comes from the 
press^ and continues to drink daily the same 
amount^ takes each day more and more al- 
cohol. 

Why will this do him harm ? Because^ for 
one reason^ the alcohol in the cider may make 
him like alcohol so well that he will care 
more for it than for anything else. Even a 
little alcohol has the power to create an appe- 
tite for more. 

For this reason it is never safe to use drinks 
that contain even a small amount of alcohol. 
Many a person who did not know^ this has 
gained a craving for strong alcoholic liquors 
simply by drinking cider. 

The Power Beer Has. — Do you remember 



62 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

how beer is made from barley ? Ale and 
porter are made in much the same way. 

Why should we not drink beer? Because 
it has the power to do great harm. 

Beer has power to dull the mind and make 
one less able to think quickly and clearly. 

Beer has power to create the craving that 
calls for the stronger alcoholic liquors. 

How do we know that beer has the power 
to do all these things ? Because it has done 
them again and again. What it has done 
once it has the power to do again. 

Alcohol in Homemade Beer. — Some people 
wisely think that brewer's beer is very in- 
jurious. So they make a kind of their own 
from roots and hops. They add water to 
these and apply heat to get the strength from 
them. Then they add some sugar and yeast. 

Do you think this homemade beer is harm- 
less? AYatch the mixture a few days^ and 
you can tell. Notice the bubbles of gas rising 
to the surface^ showing that the sugar is 
changing into gas and alcohol. The gas 
escapes^ but the alcohol remains to form a 



ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS 63 

part of the root beer or hop beer. Now you 
know the mixture is harmful; for it contains 
alcohol. 

How Wine Comes from Grapes. — Do you know 
of any fruit that looks prettier than a bunch 
of grapes ? Grapes are not only beautiful^ but 
they are also pleasant to the taste. The juice 
you get when you eat grapes is sweet and 
healthful; ferments cannot change the sugar 
in that juice to alcohol when it is in the grapes. 
But when the juice is pressed out^ the ferments 
that are washed into it quickly begin to 
change its sugar into alcohol. 

The alcohol that the ferments form in the 
liquid remains in it^ and makes it poisonous. 
Thus we see why wine is a harmful drink^ 
though made from healthful grapes. 

The alcohol in wine^ like that in beer and 
cider^ has the power to create an appetite for 
more. Therefore the only safe rule is never 
to drink wine at all. 

Some persons will not drink wine that is 
bought at a store^ so they make it themselves. 
They take the juice of the grape^ currant^ or 



64 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

elderberry and allow it to ferment^ and then 
bottle it up for home use. But these home- 
made wines often contain more alcohol than 
the others^ and are therefore more harmful. 

Whiskey^ brandy^ and rum are very power- 
ful drinks. They are at least one-half pure 
alcohol^ and sometimes they are even stronger. 
Brandy is usually made from wine and cider; 
whiskey from corn^ barley^ and other grains; 
and rum from molasses. 

Are Pure Liquors Wholesome? — We hear a 
great deal said about liquors being pure. 
Many people say that if only the best of 
grains and fruits were used^ and if no drugs 
of any kind were added^ then the liquors 
would be pure and wholesome. What a great 
mistake is this! 

It is true that some liquors are made more 
harmful by having mixed with them many 
poisonous drugs ; but any liquor that contains 
alcohol is both dangerous and harmful. It is 
the presence of this poison that makes all al- 
coholic liquors so highly injurious. 



CHAPTER XIII 

THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL 

Water Quenches Thirst. — When you come 
running into the house after a hearty play^ 
very warm and thirsty^ a glass of cold Avater 
quenches your thirst, does it not ? It certainly 
does not make you more thirsty^ so that the 
more water you drink the more you desire. 
Indeed^ when you come running into the 
house the next day^ as warm and thirsty as 
before^ the same amount of water will quench 
your thirst. 

Alcohol Increases Thirst. — Drinks containing 
alcohol differ from water in this respect; in- 
stead of quenching thirst it is their nature 
to create thirst. The person who uses any 
strong drink is not likely to be satisfied with 
a small amount for more than a short time. 

One glass of beer has the power to create a 
desire for another^ until one glass is not 
sufficient; later on^ beer does not satisfy^ and 



66 A PRIMEK OF HEALTH 

the stronger drinks are craved. In this way 
the appetite for strong drink is often formed. 
When this appetite is well fixed^ it sometimes 
completely masters the person. 

The Terrible Power of Alcohol. — The life of 
a drinking man is often divided into two 
chapters. The same words are in each chap- 
ter ; but^ alas ! how different is their mean- 
ing ! — Chapter I.^ The man could stop drink- 
ing if he would ; Chapter 11.^ The man would 
stop drinking if he could. 

Is not such a power terrible ? Yes^ indeed; 
it is one of the most fearful things that can 
be said against alcohol. 

Some of the very strongest and wisest men 
have thought they need not fear that this 
appetite would ever affect them. But often 
when too late they have found that it has 
completely conquered them. Students who 
have always mastered the hardest lessons 
have been completely mastered themselves by 
alcohol. Soldiers who have never yielded to 
the enemy in battle have yielded to the power 
of strong drink. 



THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL 67 

Some men drink beer because they think 
that it makes them strong and healthful. 
They say: ^^See what red and rosy cheeks we 
have and how large our muscles are/^ but the 
alcohol in the beer has deceived them. It 
makes the muscles large and soft and puffs up 
their faces^ making the skin red and angry- 
looking^ and as the alcohol has also dulled 
their minds they cannot see that they are 
not doing as much work as their fellow- 
workmen. 

Would you like to know how to avoid this 
terrible power? Do you wish that it may 
never affect you in any way ? Then refuse to 
take the first glass of cider^ beer^ wine^ or any 
other drink that contains alcohol. 

Did you ever hear a boy say that he knows 
this power can never affect him? Perhaps 
he thinks that if he should begin the use of 
strong drink^ he could stop it at any time 
when he so desired. But that is not what the 
study of alcohol teaches. We should all 
remember that a little alcohol has the power 
to create an uncontrollable appetite for more. 



68 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

None are sure of escape^ if they begin 
its use. 

A young person may not know that he has 
any desire for strong drink^ until he has tasted 
some of the Hghter drinks^ or some sauce 
flavored with wine. It is easy to begin^ 
^4ittle by httle/^ to walk in the road that 
leads to ruin and despair. It is also easy to 
begin in another road that leads to success 
and happiness. 



CHAPTER XIV 



TOBACCO 




The Tobacco Plant. — Probably you all know 
that tobacco is made from the leaves of a 
plant. But do you know why it is that the 
tobacco leaf is used instead of the leaf of the 
beet or the cabbage? It is because tobacco 
leaves contain substances that are not in the 



70 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

beet or cabbage leaf. These substances pro- 
duce a quieting or stupefying effect upon 
the smoker^ and it is this effect that the 
smoker comes to enjoy. 

Nicotine a Poison. — Perhaps you have heard 
some of the older boys tell how sick the first 
use of tobacco made them. It was because 
they were suffering from the poisonous effects 
of the nicotine which is in the tobacco. These 
boys may tell you that the headache and the 
vomiting soon disappear^ but they probably 
do not tell you about the slower effects of 
this poison which are sure to come^ although 
we may not always know what they are. 

Tobacco Benefits No One. — Did you ever ask 
persons who use tobacco whether it harms 
them ? If so^ perhaps some of them have 
told you that they are sure it does not; 
while others say they know it harms them^ but 
they cannot break away from the habit. It is cer- 
tainly true that tobacco injures those who use 
it— some more than others. Even those who 
think they are not harmed by its use^ would 
find themselves much better off without it. 



TOBACCO 71 

The reason why so many grown persons 
do not appear to suffer from using tobacco^ 
is probably because they did not begin its use 
until their bodies had attained full growth. 
The grown body is stronger and is thus better 
able to resist harmful influences than the 
growing body. 

Tobacco Harmful to the Young. — It is a pos- 
itive fact that tobacco is very harmful to the 
young. ^Ye do not beheve there is a single 
exception to this rule. Tobacco does im- 
mense harm to those who use it while the 
body is growing and developing. Its effects 
are not only serious but they are lasting. 
Here is a rule which you should all re- 
member : The younger the person using to- 
hacco, the more serious loill he its effects. 

Twenty-nine states in this country have 
passed laws forbidding the sale of tobacco to 
young persons. Can you tell why such laws 
are passed? Because the men who make the 
laws see that the use of tobacco is seriously 
injuring the boys who are to be the future 
men of the land. 



72 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

Effects of Cigarettes. — Boys sometimes think 
that because cigarettes are so small there can- 
not be much harm in using them. This is a 
great mistake. No boy can smoke them 
without being more or less harmed. It is 
equally true that many boys have their health 
broken^ their minds injured^ and all their 
bright prospects for life ruined by these same 
little cigarettes. 

Suppose you ask one of your playmates, 
" Why do you eat your dinner ? '^ he will 
probably answer, " Because I am hungry. ^^ 
Ask him, ^^ Why do you drink a glass of 
water ?^^ He will tell you, ^^ Because I am 
thirsty. ^^ He is always ready to give you a 
reasonable answer to such questions, is he 
not? But do you think any boy could give 
you a good reason for smoking? 

Let any boy who smokes tell one good 
reason, if he can, why he uses cigarettes. 
There is no reason why boys should smoke, 
and many reasons why they should not. 



CHAPTER XV 

REASONS WHY BOYS SHOULD NOT SMOKE 

Tobacco Takes Away the Appetite. — One of the 
first things we notice about a boy who smokes 
is that when meal time comes he is not very 
hungry. He does not eat enough good food^ 
and Avithout plenty of food his body cannot 
grow and become strong. 

Tobacco Affects the Brain. — Such a boy often 
complains of being dizzy. He says he has a 
rnsh of blood to the head. He is troubled 
with horrible dreams^ and awakes in the 
morning with a dull^ heavy headache. He 
goes to school^ but because he cannot study 
well^ his standing in his classes is low. 

Smoking is a Fihhy Habit. — Notice the want 
of neatness in the boy who smokes ! His teeth 
are dark colored; they have an offensive ap- 
pearance ; and the odor of the tobacco clings 
to his clothes. 



74 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

Smoking Makes Boys Deceitful. — Do boys run 
away from home to eat their supper ? Do 
they hide to comb their hair ? Yet they will 
go away from home and hide to smoke their 
cigarettes. Why is this ? Because they know 
that the practice is not a good one^ and they 
are ashamed of it. Boys will deny that they 
use tobacco^ when they will not tell a false- 
hood about anything else. 

Smoking Leads to Drinking. — One of the 
sad things we have noticed as a result of 
smoking cigarettes^ is that the boys who 
smoke are very likely to drink when they 
get older. The use of tobacco very early in 
life often creates a desire for strong drink. 

Count how many headings there are in this 
chapter printed in black-faced tyi3e. Five^ 
are there not? Read them over again. Do 
you not think that each one gives a good 
reason why boys should never smoke ? Are 
not these enough to show that you are much 
better off without tobacco? 

But suppose the boy who smokes wishes to 
defend himself. What will he say ? Let him 



REASONS WHY BOYS SHOULD NOT SMOKE 75 

begin to read all the books on physiology, 
study all there is said about the care of the 
health; and then tell us if he has found a 
single good thing about the use of tobacco. 
The best students and writers agree that 
tobacco is harmful. 



CHAPTER XYI 



THE MUSCLES 



What the Muscles Do. — Did you ever see a 
piece of beefsteak before it was cooked? 
^^Oh^ yes^ many times/^ you answer; '^it is 
soft^ and of a deep red color/^ Can you tell 
the name of the lean meat which makes the 
flesh of animals? It is called muscle. 

Now let us see what the muscles are for. 

Place your left hand over the front of 
your right arm and raise your forearm. 
You notice something that swells and be- 
comes harder? This is a muscle which 
you feel as it shortens. We say it contracts. 
How do we know the muscle shortens? 
Because it moves the part to which it is 
fastened. Muscles are of such great use to us 
simply because they can shorten and then 
lengthen again. 



THE MUSCLES 



77 



The cheeks and the hps are nearly all 
muscle ; and what is one of their uses ? They 
enclose the mouth. Therefore^ some of the 
muscles make walls for cavities. 
Perhaps you never thought be- 
fore that a hole had to have 
walls. 

Muscles move the different 
parts of the body. Did you ever 
notice under what complete con- 
trol you have your muscles ? You 
can use one of them at a tinie^ as 
in bending the end of a finger^ or 
you can use a very large number 
of them^ as in walking or run- 
ning. 

Control of the Muscles. — Can 
make all the muscles con- 



we 



Fig. 10. The 
upper part of the 
figure shows the 
muscles, while 
the lower part 
shows the slen- 
der white ten- 
dons at thewrist. 



tract whenever we wish ? Let 

us experiment a little and so find 

out. We certainly can move the hands^ the 

arms, the head, and many parts of the face, 

as often as we like. But how is it with the 

heart? The heart is made of muscle^ yet it 



78 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 




continues to beat, even 
during sleep^ and we have 
no power to change its 
action. From this we 
learn that there are a few 
muscles which we cannot 
control. 

How many muscles are 

Fig. 11. A is the muscle thcrC ill tllC 
on the front of the arm which i i ^ mi ^ 

.. 1 body.^ inere 

raises the lower arm. ^^wv^j 

are as many as 
five hundred, each one having a 
name and some special work to do. 
Are they all of the same size ? No, 
for some are very large and long, 
reaching from the hip to the knee; 
while others are so small that they 
can scarcely be seen with the un- 
aided eye. Do these muscles form 
a large or a small part of the 
body ? You can decide when you ^^^ ^^ ^ 
know that muscles make up '^ ^^^ ^^^^cie 

on the back of 

nearly one-half the weight of the the arm that 

- , straightens out 

body. the arm. 



THE MUSCLES 



79 



The Tendons. — Some of the 
muscles are fastened directly to 
the bones; while others end in 
white shining cords which are 
attached to the bones. These 
cords are called tendons. Did 
you ever notice them on the 
back of your hand ? Bend your 
fingers back and forth ; perhaps 
you will be able to see them. 
Now the muscles which move 





Fig. 14. B is the 
muscle on the front of 
the leg which drops 
the heel and raises the 
toes. 



Fig. 13. A is 

the muscle on the 

your fingers are back of the leg 

, ^ which raises the 

111 the lorearm ; heei. 

but near the wrist^ they end 

in these tendons^ which^ as 

shown in Fig. 10^ extend 

from the wrist to the 

fingers. 

How is it that your fingers 
move when the muscles mov- 
ing them are in the forearm 
and not in the fingers? Be- 
cause^ when the muscles con- 
tract^ they pull on these 



80 A PRIMEK OF HEALTH 

cords or tendons which are fastened to the 
fingers. 

With thick mnscles around the fingers to 
move them^ think what a large and chimsy 
hand you would have ! Do you not see how 
the tendons save room^ allow the parts to 
move more easily^ and aid in giving a much 
better shape to the body ? 

How the Body is Moved. — Now let us look 
at Figs. 11 and 12^ and see if we can learn 
how the muscles move parts of the body. 
Look at Fig. 11 first. Imagine that the mus- 
cle on the front of the arm contracts, or 
shortens^ pulling on the cord^ or tendon, which 
is fastened to the bone of the forearm. As 
this muscle shortens, it will raise the fore- 
arm and the hand with ito 

By looking at the next two figures, it is easy 
to see that if the muscle in front shortens, it 
will raise the toes ; while if the muscle at the 
back shortens, the heel will be raised and the 
toes lowered. Can you tell now what causes 
all the movements of the body ? Certainly ; 
the contraction of the muscles. 



CHAPTER XYII 



EXERCISE 




Exercises Used to Develop the Lower Part of the Body. 

Muscles Need Work. — Are all the boys and 
girls in your school equally strong ? Cannot 
some of you run faster than others ? What 
is the reason for this ? Your muscles are all 
alike in shape, and of the same number. Of 
course sickness and poor health will keep 
some of you weak ; but why is it that some 
boys always seem to be so much stronger 
than others^ who are in the same good health ? 



82 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

One reason is because the stronger boy has 
given his muscles more work to do. 

If we wish to keep our muscles healthy and 
strongs they must be made to work. How 
many of you have ever seen a blacksmith? 
Did you notice how large his arms were and 
what a hard blow he could strike ? Do you 
think his arms were always so large and 
strong? No, indeed, it was the hard work 
he gave them to do which made them grow\ 
And he keeps them large and stout because 
he continues his hard work. 

Do you know what would make the mus- 
cles of your arm nearly disappear? Simply 
keeping the arm in a sling and not using it 
for a number of weeks. Without exercise 
the muscles become thin and soft, and nearly 
waste away. 

Exercise Benefits the Whole Body. — But you 
must not think that the muscles are the only 
parts aided by exercise. How is it when you 
are taking a hard run ? You breathe faster, 
and take in more fresh air. Your heart beats 
faster, and the blood flows more freely 



EXERCISE 



83 



through your body. AVhat is the result of all 
this? You have a good appetite; you sleep 
well; and the whole body is greatly bene- 
fited. 

Is it well for a boy to be all muscle and no 
brain ? Are you pleased to hear of a boy 




Exercises Used to Develop the Upper Part of the 
Body and Breathing. 



who studies well and always knows his les- 
sons^ and yet suffers pain all the time ? No^ 
indeed. We all prefer to see a healthy body 
and a strong mind in the same person. Do 
you think from what we have said that 
you can have both of these if you exercise 
the one and neglect the other? Certainly not. 
Therefore play heartily and study earnestly. 



84 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

Open Air the Place for Exercise. — You may 
think there is not very much sport in walk- 
ings yet it is one of the very best exercises 
for young and old. But let us combine pleas- 
ure with our exercise. So we will choose 
ball playing in summer^ and sliding and skat- 
ing in winter. Of course running and jumping 
are always in season. Still all this exercise will 
not do much good if taken in a close room. 
It is the fresh^ pure air that is needed. No 
indoor exercise can possibly take the place of 
exercise in the open air. 

We rarely hear of young boys studying too 
hard^ yet they do sometimes play until the 
body is completely tired out. We often hear 
of girls who skip the rope until they are faint 
and ill. Now^ this is not the proper way to 
exercise^ for it must be remembered that too 
violent exercise may cause severe illness. 

Does Alcohol Give Strength? — Can a man 
walk better if he takes beer or wine or some 
other strong drink ? Can he do more hard 
work if he is under the influence of alcohol? 
These are very important questions. Many 



EXERCISE 85 

people have to work hard. If they could 
only do more work^ they would be able to 
earn more money. But they cannot get more 
strength from alcohol. 

Notice a person who is under the influ- 
ence of strong drink ! He has a staggering 
gait; his tongue is thick; and his fingers 
are clumsy. Has alcohol made his muscles 
stronger? Instead of being stronger they are 
weaker. Only a little more strong drink and 
the muscles would not hold the body up; the 
body would fall and become perfectly helpless. 
We shall learn in a later chapter that the 
delicate nerves have much to do in bringing 
about this result. 

But you ask^ '' Suppose a person should 
take only a small amount of alcohol^ a glass 
or two of beer or a glass of wine or a very 
little whiskey, would not this give strength to 
his muscles ? ^^ No^ indeed. The workman 
with his ale or beer cannot do so much nor so 
good work as he can do without it. 



CHAPTER XVIII 



THE CLOTHING 



How Clothing Keeps Us Warm. — Do you 
know why your body is chilly when exposed 
to the air ? It is because the air about you 
is^ except in the extreme heat of summer^ 
colder than the body ; so the body gives out 
its heat to the air. But where does the body 
get its heat ? Does the clothing we wear 
make the heat of the body ? No^ the body 
itself does that ; the clothing simply keeps the 
heat from leaving the body. 

The clothing also protects the body from 
the direct rays of the sun; from the storms of 
rain and snow ; and from many injuries. 

The Choice of Clothing. — Now that you 
know the uses of clothings would you advise 
any one to wear the same clothing in winter 
as in summer ? No^ indeed^ even the animals 
teach us better. As the cold weather comes 



THE CLOTHING 



87 



on their fur coats thicken up^ and the hair 
covering becomes so heavy that they are glad 
to shed part of it when spring comes again. 
Some people make the mistake of thinking 
that they can make themselves stronger by 
getting along without sufficient warm cloth- 




An Eskimo Boy Wearing His Fur Clothes. 

ing. Other people make the mistake of lay- 
ing aside the winter flannels too early. Better 
wait until the summer weather is surely at 
hand before rvmning any risk of taking cold. 

All the clothing should be changed at night. 
Never sleep in any garment that has been worn 
during the day. If caught in a storm^ hasten 
home^ and change the damp clothing for dry. 



88 A PRIMEK OF HEALTH 

Do not go about with damp feet. A great 
many sore throats and colds have been caused 
by wet feet. 

Do you think tliat clothing must be very 
expensive in order to look attractive ? We 
do not. We have seen boys and girls dressed 
in a most expensive manner^ and yet there 
was something about their clothing that 



Warmly Dressed for Winter Play. 

was not pleasing. Remember^ the simplest gar- 
ments look well^ if they are neat and clean. 

Does Alcohol Warm the Body? — Did you ever 
take a long drive in the cold ? How did you 
manage to keep warm ? You put on extra 
clothings did you not ? Perhaps you had 
something warm to place at your feet. Did 



THE CLOTHING 89 

you take a good^ warm meal just before you 
started? Then so much the better. 

Yet some persons think that they know a 
better way than this. They say that before 
starting on a cold journey they always take a 
glass of liquor^ '' for wine^ or beer^ or spirits^ 
warms the body and keeps one from taking 
cold.^^ Is there any truth in this ? Does wine 
or brandy or any strong drink warm the 
whole body ? No^ indeed. Yet these persons 
say it does. Now^ why is it that they are so 
mistaken? Because the alcohol makes more 
blood g-o to the skin. This makes the skin 
feel warmer; so the person thinks his whole 
body is warmer. 

How Alcohol Lowers the Heat. — But the skin 
is warmer for only a few moments. When 
the blood is in the skin it is near the cool air^ 
and thus heat is taken from it. 

Does a dose of wine or brandy make the 
skin warmer ? Yes. Why ? Because it sends 
more blood to the skin. Does this last long ? 
Only for a very short time. Are the deeper 
parts of the body warmed? No^ only the 



90 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

skin. Then is the whole body warmed by 
strong drink ? No. It is often made colder. 

Would you advise taking wine^ or any other 
alcoholic drink^ on a cold day? Certainly not. 
It would only make the body still colder. 

If alcohol could make the body Avarmer^ 
then those persons who have traveled in very 
cold countries would find it very useful. Yet 
the great Arctic explorers tell us that they 
never allowed the use of a single drop of 
alcoholic liquors. They all say that they 
could not have endured the extreme cold if 
they had used liquors. 

Alcohol in the Tropics. — Persons who have 
traveled in the hottest countries^ and officers 
who have charge of the soldiers in such 
places^ write that they endure the excessive 
heat very much better without strong drink. 

Thus we learn that strong drink is not good 
for men living in cold countries^ nor for those 
in very warm countries. It will not feed us^ 
neither will it clothe us. It seems to bring 
no good to any one^ and may cause great 
harm to every one who uses it. 



CHAPTER XIX 



THE SKIN 



The Cooling of the Body. — Can you tell of a 
garment given us by Nature that fits the 
body closely and never wears out ? It is the 
skin. Have you ever noticed how soft and 
tight-fitting it is ? Think how much wear 
there must be on this garment. It is con- 
stantly rubbing against the clothings while 
every use of the towel in bathing must wear 
upon it. Yet it never wears out. The blood 
is always bringing it food^ keeping it in per- 
fect repair. 

You know that sometimes when you prick 
yourself lightly with a pin the blood does not 
flow^ but if the pin goes into the skin a little 
deeper^ blood will surely flow. How do you 
account for this ? Because the outer part of 
the skin has no blood vessels. How fortunate 
is this ! If the blood vessels came to the very 



92 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



outside of the skin^ every little bruise or 
scratch would cause the blood to flow. 

A slight scratch of the 
pin does not really hurt. 
This is because there are 
no nerves in the outer 
part of the skin. How 
fortunate again! For if 
the nerves came to the 
surface, everything we 
touched would give us 
severe pain. 

Oil Glands. — Have you 
ever noticed what smooth 
and glossy hair some per- 
sons have? Yet they may 

Fig. 15. A human hair i . -i r» -, 

beneath ii^^^i' ^sc any kind 01 hair 




Let us see if we can 



(H), as it appears 

the skin, in its sheath. G, ^:"| 

the oil gland, which pours 

an oily substance around the explain tllis. DcCp in the 

hair. 

skin there are some glands 
which make an oily substance that is poured 
around the base of each hair. If the scalp is 
healthy, the oil glands will furnish enough oil 
to keep the hair soft and smooth. If you 



THE SKIK 



93 



look at Fig. 15, you will see that part of a 
hair which is within its sheath, beneath the 
skin. Large oil glands are seen on either 
side of it. 

Sweat Glands. — Sometimes during the warm 
weather of summer, or after you have been 
working or playing 
hard, the whole body 
becomes covered with 
moisture. Often the 
moisture gathers in 
little drops of water on 
the face. This moisture 
is called perspiration. 
Where do you suppose 
it comes from? It 

Fig. 16. The surface of the 
comes from glands skin magnified, showing the 
n T , 1 V 1 1 openings of the sweat glands. 

called the sweat glands. 

Look carefully at the palm of your hand, 
or at the inside of your fingers, and notice 
the minute lines or ridges. Now if you 
looked at these with a magnifying glass, 
they would appear like Fig. 16. Do you 
notice the little round pits in the figure ? 




94 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



You could see them on your own hand too 
if you had a magnifying glass. These little 
pits are the openings of the sweat glands. 
They are sometimes called the 
pores of the skin. If you look 
at Fig. 17^ you will see some 
of these sweat glands^ way 
down in the skin, looking like 
coiled tubes. The perspiration 
passes up the long, narrow 
tubes to the surface of the 
skin. 

From each little pore there 
comes only a small part of a 
Fig. 17 (1) The ^j,^^ ^f pcrspiratiou I yet, 

narrow tubes which i r Jr ; J ^ 

bring the perspiration takcu togcthcr, they make 

to the surface from 

the sweat glands CUOUgh moisturC tO bc SCCU. 

below. The sweat o • i • 

glands appear like feomctimcs thc moisturc gath- 

closely coiled tubes. ^^.^ -^^ ^^^^^ ^^.^^^ ^^ ^^^ 

forehead and face. 

Perspiration. — Even during the coldest 
weather of winter perspiration is coming 
through the skin all the time. You did not 
know it^ because there is not always enough 




THE SKIN 



95 




of the perspiration to be seen or felt. Per- 
spiration looks as if it were nothing more 
than water ; but dissolved in it are salts 
and impurities which the 
body has thrown off. 
When the perspiration 
dries on the body^ the 
salts and impurities re- 
main on the skin. Do 
you see any reason why 
they should not remain " "" 

there? What w^ould follow if the tiny open- 
ings of the minute pores of the skin should 
get stopped up ? The perspiration could not 
get out. Why then should 
one take a bath every day ? 

Bathing, — How many of you 
girls have birds ? You give 
your birds a bath every morn- 
ing ; but birds are not as im- 
portant as boys and girls. Our 
bodies certainly need bathing much more fre- 
quently than do the birds^ bodies. The whole 
body should be bathed at least once each day. 




96 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

When is the best time to bathe ? When 
does your bird have his bath ? In the morn- 
ing. And the morning is the best time for 
your bath. While a bath at bedtime is 
refreshing and will often cause a better 
night's rest^ a cool bath in the mornings 
immediately after risings is the best. When 
you bathe each day^ the bath can be taken 
quickly. It is necessary to have only a basin 
of water^ a sponge or wash cloth^ and a 
towel. Wet only a portion of the body at a 
time and dry it rapidly. The morning bath 
makes one feel better all through the day. 
Once a week a thorough tub bath^ with soap 
and warm water^ should be taken. 

Be careful not to let the body cool too 
quickly when you are perspiring freely. 
After any hearty exercise^ let the body cool 
gradually. Throw some light clothing over 
the shoulders^ and avoid currents of air. Be 
cautious also about drinking too much cold 
water. Iced water at such times is danger- 
ous unless sipped very slowly^ a little at a 
time. 



CHAPTER XX 

THE BONES 

The Framework of the Body. — You have been 
learning about the muscles^ the blood vessels^ 
and the skin. Tf our bodies were made only 
of these soft parts^ would they keep their 
proper shape? Could we run and jump^ if our 
limbs were only a mass of flesh? What do 
you suppose gives such a firm support to our 
bodies ? Take hold of your arm and feel how 
hard it is in the center. We call these hard 
parts the support or framework of the body. 
This framework is made of a large number of 
bones. 

What are Bones for ? — The bones give proper 
shape to the body; they give support to the 
soft flesh ; and they also protect many delicate 
parts from injury. They have still another 
important use. Nearly all the muscles are 
fastened to them. You have already learned 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



how the muscles move the bones^ as in walk- 
ing, runnings and jumping. 

Some of the bones are large and round^ 
while others are thin and flat. How many 
bones do you suppose there are in the body ? 
Over two hundred. 

The Marrow.— Bones look very solid. Yet 
if you should saw a fresh bone open^ you 
would find that the center of it is not hard. 
It is filled with a soft substance called marrow. 
You will not find this marrow^ however^ in the 
old bones you might pick up in the fields. 

How Bones are Fed. — Even the outer part 
of the bone^ that looks so solid to you^ has 
very small openings^ or holes, in it. You 
cannot see these Avith the unaided eje, yet 
the microscope shows them. These holes are 
filled with very small blood vessels. From 
this we learn that even so hard a substance 
as bone has blood flowing through all its 
parts. 

When do Bones Bend Easily? — Why is it 
that boys and girls can tumble about and 
take such heavy falls without breaking their 



THE BONES 99 

bones? During old age this is not so; some- 
times a slight fall will break the largest bone. 
The reason for this is that early in life the 
bones are neither so hard nor so brittle as 
they become when we grow older. They will 
even bend before they will break. 

Have you ever seen a young tree bent^ so 
that it is growing in an unnatural way ? Now 
the bones^ when they are young, can be made 
to grow in very unnatural shapes. Therefore 
we should be very careful to keep them in 
their natural positions by dressings sitting, and 
walking in a proper manner. 



CHAPTER XXI 

THE SKELETON AND THE JOINTS 

The bony framework of the body is called 
the skeleton. That we may study it better, 
we will divide the skeleton into three parts — 
the bones of the head, the bones of the trunk, 
and the bones of the limbs. 

The Bones of the Head. — Where do you find 
the bones of your head? You can feel them 
underneath the skin and flesh of your fore- 
head, nose, cheeks and chin. This part of the 
head is called the face, and these bones we 
may call the bones of the face. Can you find 
bones in any other part of your head? All 
the bones of the head make what is called the 
skull. The skull feels as if it were all one 
bone, but it is made up of several joined 
closely together. 

The bones of the head do not form a solid 
mass, like a stone. They are more like a 
snail shell, in that they cover and protect the 



THE SKELETON AND TPIE JOINTS 101 

soft parts inside the skull. What these are 
you will learn in another lesson. 

The Trunk. — We call the main part of a 
tree its trunk^ and we also speak of the main 




Fig. 18. The Human figure, showing the chest and abdomen of the 
trunk, or main part of the body. 

part of the body as the trunk. At the back 
of the trunk is the backbone ; in front is the 
breast bone ; on the sides are the ribs ; and 
at the lower part are the hip bones. 

Look at Fig. 18^ and notice how the trunk 
is divided into two parts by an arch. This 



102 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



arch is called the diaphragm : it is a thin wall 
of muscle. You will find it shown at 1^ in 
Fig. 4. So you see there are two large rooms 

in the trunk. 

The Chest. — 
The room 
above the arch 
of the trunk is 
called the 
chest. What 
are those slen- 
der^ curved 
bones forming 
the sides of the 
chesty and 
showing so 
clearly in Fig. 
14 ? They are the ribs ; and there are twelve 
of them on each side. You can easily feel 
the ribs, but it is not easy to count the 
whole number. 

The Abdomen. — The large room below the 
arch is called the abdomen. Are there any 
bony walls around this room ? No^ but the 




Fig. 19. The shoulder joint. S, the 
shoulder blade ; H, the large bone of the arm. 



THE SKELETON AND THE JOINTS 103 

muscles and the skin make a firm, strong 
covering for the parts within. If you will 
look at Fig. 2, you will see some of the or- 
gans that are in this lower room. 

The Bones of the Arm. — Run your hand 
across the front of the upper part of your 
chest. Do you feel two slender bones there ? 
These are called the collar bones. One end of 
each collar bone is shown in Fig. 4. Back 
of each collar bone, forming the back part of 
the shoulder, is a much larger bone, called the 
shoulder blade. How many bones do you 
think there are between the shoulder and the 
elbow ? Only one. The upper end of this 
bone fits into the shoulder blade to make the 
shoulder joint ; and the lower end fits into 
another bone to make the elbow joint. 

How many bones can you feel between the 
elbow and the wrist? One, or two? There 
are two, placed side by side, and many of you 
can feel them, if you try, near the wrist. A 
number of small bones make the hand. Now 
count and see if you have five large bones 
belonging to each arm : the collar bone, the 



104 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 




Fig. 20. The 
thigh bone, the 
largest bone in the 
body. 



shoulder blade^ the large bone 
of the arin^ and the two bones 
placed side by side. 

The Bones of the Leg.— In 
many ways the bones of the leg 
are much like those of the arm. 
The largest leg bone fits into the 
side of a hip bone to make the 
hip joint. This long bone^ ex- 
tending from the hii3 to the knee, 
is the largest bone in the body. 
It is illustrated in Fig. 20, and 
the upper part of it again in 
Fig. 21. From the knee to the 
ankle there 



are two 
bones placed side by 
side. Can you think of 
a small bone we have not 
mentioned which is in 
front of the knee joint? 
Oh, yes; the knee-pan or 
knee ^'cap'^; it protects 
the knee in front. 




Fig. 21. The hip joint. 



THE SKELETON AND THE JOINTS 105 

The Arch of the Foot. — Did you ever notice 
that the bottom of the foot does not rest flat 
upon the floor? This is because the small 
bones in the foot are arranged in the form of 
an arch. What is this arch for ? Notice the 
spring in a wagon ; it is made in the form of 
an arch. So this arch in the foot acts as a 
springs preventing 
the body from being 
jarred too severely 
in running, jumping, 

^^^' Fig. 22. The bones of the foot 

How the Joints arranged in the form of an arch. 

Help Us. — Suppose you try, for a few mo- 
ments, to keep your arm out straight, not 
allowing it to bend at the elbow in the least ! 
Suppose you try to walk without bending 
your knees ! Keep your fingers out straight, 
then try to pick up something! You would 
have a hard time getting along in this way. 
How fortunate it is that we have joints in 
our bodies ! 

How does the engineer keep the joints of 
his engine so that they always move easily 




106 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



and smoothly ? He oils them. See how easily 
you can move the joints of your fingers^ but 
you do not have to oil them. All of your 
joints are kept moist by a fluid which answers 
the same purpose as oil. This fluid is called 

the joint water. 

The Ligaments. — 
What holds the ends 
of the bones together 
at the joints? Strong 
white bands of tissue^ 
called ligaments. Look 
at Fig. 23 and see 

Fig. 23. The shoulder joint hoW Completely thcSC 
(1) covered by its ligaments; (2) "U J covev the boueS 
the shoulder blade; (3) the arm ^^^^^ COVCl tUC OOUCfe 

^^"^- of the shoulder joint. 

Yet beneath the bands we know that the 
bones look as in Fig. 19. 

Did you ever hear of anyone getting a 
finger^ or an arm^ or a leg ^^out of joint '^? 
How could it get out of place if these bands 
of tissue were around it ? A hard wrench 
may cause the bone to break its way through 
the bands. 




THE SKELETON AND THE JOINTS 107 

Did you ever ^^ sprain ^^ your ankle or your 
Avrist? A sprain is sometimes very painful 
and causes trouble for a long time. The 
bones are not injured in a sprain. It is the 
ligaments that are injured. 



CHAPTER XXII 



THE CARE OF THE BONES 



The Erect Figure. — 

How often we see 

young people stoop- 
ing as they walk. 

The body bends 

forward^ and the 

shoulders are drawn 

toward each other. 

This is bad ; because 

when the bones are 

young they bend 
easily^ and thus may grow out of shape. Un- 
less one is careful to sit and stand erect^ he may 
grow up narrow-chested andround-shouldered. 
To have a fine figure one should walk with 
the whole body erect^ and the chest held high. 
Later in life^ when the bones become harder^ 
you will be able to walk in this way without 





THE CARE OF THE BONES 109 

giving any thought to holding the body 
properly. 

Do you know of any boys or girls who 
bend over their books while sitting at their 
desks^ like the little girl in the picture ? Do 




A Bad Position for Reading or Study. 

you ever sit on one foot^ or take other awk- 
ward positions ? When you are at home^ do 
you ever slide down in an easy chair^ or bend 
over your sewing or reading ? You certainly 
would not allow yourself to fall into any of 
these positions if you appreciated that the 
shape of the bones can be easily changed 



110 



PKIMER OF HEALTH 



when they are grow- 
ing. Study the three 
reading positions 
taken by the boy 
shown on pages 110 
and 111^ and be ready 
to tell why it is not 
well for him to sit in 
the incorrect positions 
shown. For the same 
reason you can now 
do much toward mak- 
ing: yourself erect. 






■■■■Bi| 


k 


^■^ 


I ^^^^Sj 


P 


m 








^m 


.1 



A Bad Position for Reading. 



NE Way of Weakening the 
Ankles. 

Tight Clothing. — 
Pressing the ribs 
too tightly about 
the waist injures 
the health. The 
clothing can be 
made to fit snugly 
and neatly^ and yet 
not be tight enough 
to change the nat- 
ural form 



THE CARE OF THE BONES 



111 




''All Crouched Up." 

bodv with the ball 
heeled shoes lift the 
the ground than 
the ball^ and thus 
throw more of the 
w^eight of the body 
on the forward 
part of the foot 
than it was made 
to bear. High heels 
also give an awk- 
ward, stiff appear- 
ance to the walk. 



Sensible Shoes. — 
Do your shoes ever 
pinch your feet ? 
They should not; 
for shoes are made 
to protect the feet 
and not to change 
their shape. The 
heel of the foot 
was made to share 
the weight of the 
of the foot. But high- 
heel much farther from 




In Position for Reading. 



112 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

For boys and girls ^^ spring heels'^ are best. 
But even with the right shoes^ a child some- 
times stands badly. If the girl in the pict- 
ure were your Httle sister, what would you 
advise her to do ? 

Alcohol Checks Growth. — Our bones grow 
larger and stronger as our bodies grow ; and 
for this reason we should be very careful to 
take nothing that will check or harm their 
growth. Children who are given beer^ wine, 
brandy or other alcoholic drinks while they 
are very young do not grow so fast nor so 
large as they should. 

Effects of Cigarettes. — Boys who begin the 
use of cigarettes at an early age, and keep up 
the habit for years, seldom reach their full 
growth. The effects of cigarettes on a youngs 
growing body are much more serious than on 
a body which has reached its growth. The 
boy who dwarfs his body during the growing 
time of life can never afterward gain what he 
has lost. He must go through life with a less 
perfect body than he might have had but for 
his foolishness in learning to smoke. 



CHAPTER XXni 

THE BRAIN, SPINAL CORD^ AND NERVES 

How the Brain is Protected. — You have 
learned that the skull is a hard bony covering. 
We shall now see that it covers and protects 
the most precious part of the body, the part 
that thinks. We call this the brain. Think 
how many hard knocks the skull receives 
during an ordinary life ! If these knocks fell 
directly on the brain they would seriously 
injure it; but within the skull it is quite safe. 

What the Brain Does. — What is this brain 
for ? Why, it is with the brain that you think 
and study and remember what is told you. 

When you were studying about muscles, 
you were told that they were made strong by 
proper exercise. This is also true of the 
brain. Using the brain makes it stronger 
How can we use it ? By studying at school, 
by reading good books at home^ and by keep- 



114 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 



ing noble and kind thoughts in the mind. 
You have a great help in life if you always 
choose good books and good companions. 

When the Brain Rests. — You learned that 
the heart rests a trifle after each beat and 




Fig. 24. A human brain. 1 and 2, the brain ; 3, the beginning of the 

spinal cord. 

that the lungs rest a short time after each 
breath. The brain^ as well as all other parts of 
the body^ must have rest. Can you tell what 
brings rest to the brain ? Sleep. In sleep the 
whole body rests. Without sleep a person 
cannot long remain in good health. When 
you feel sleepy it is a sign that your whole 



THE BRAIN, SPINAL CORD, AND NERVES 115 

body needs rest. ''Bed time''' is really one of 
the best friends a child has. 

When to Sleep. — The growing body needs a 
great deal of sleep. Each night should bring 
plenty of it. The best time for sleep is in the 
early part of the night. Go to bed early. Do 
not lie in bed after waking up in the morning. 
Get up early^ and enjoy the most beautiful 
part of the day. 

The Nerves. — Suppose you prick the end 
of your finger with a needle. How does the 
pain get to your brain? In this way: The 
needle touches a little nerve in the end of the 
finger. This nerve carries the message of 
pain up the arm until it reaches the spinal 
cord^ then the message travels up the spinal 
cord to the brain. 

The Spinal Cord. — Fig. 25 will help you to 
understand how^ the message travels. You 
will notice there that the brain is at the top. 
Below the brain is the spinal cord. This 
goes from the brain down the center of the 
backbone. Notice some large nerves going 
from it to the arms and the lower limbs. 



116 



A PRIMER OF HEALTH 




Thus the nerves cany messages from one 
part of the body to another. They can carry 

many kmds of mes- 
sages, and in many 
dh^ections. Some of 
these messages tell the 
bram what is happen- 
ing at various parts of 
the body. Others are 
orders from the brain, 
telling these parts what 
to do. 

There are some 
strange things about 
these nerves. Some of 
them can do special 
things and nothing 
else. For instance, the 

snown in rig. 'a^. d, ine spinai p ji 

cord ; Na, large nerves that go to l^^l^^'^S OT tHC CyC CaU 

the arm. Nl, large nerves that go J^ nothing but CarrV 

to the leg ; Ns, small nerves that ~ '^ 

go to the skin. mcssagcs of light from 

the eyes to the brain ; and the nerves of the 
ears carry only messages of sound. 

The Five Senses, — These special nerves 




Fig. 25. 1 and 2, the brain. This 
is another view of the brain as 
shown in Fig. 24. S, the spinal 



THE BRAIN, SPINAL CORU, AND NERVES 117 

give the senses. We generally say there are 
five senses. Can you name them ? They are 
sights smelly taste, touchy and hearing. 

Alcohol Injures the Brain. — Since the work 
of the brain is to think^ the best brain is the 
one that can do the best thinking. Watch 
the class in mental arithmetic thinking out 
the answer to a problem. How eager each 
one is to get the answer first and to have it 
correct. No boy or girl wishes to have a 
brain that is stupid and dull. 

We have learned that the way to streng- 
then the brain is by exercise. We need also 
to know how to avoid weakening the brain. 
Poor food^ bad aii% lack of proper exercise 
tend to weaken the brain^ but worse still are 
alcoholic drinks^ tobacco^ and a few other 
brain poisons. 

When a person takes even a small quantity 
of alcohol^ his brain begins to be aff^ected by 
it. He cannot think as clearly. He says 
things that his good sense would keep him 
from saying if he had not taken the al- 
cohol. 



118 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

Who can tell what a man will do when 
under the mfluence of strong drink ? He may 
quarrel with his best friends without a cause. 
He is likely to be cruel to those whom he 
should love and care for^ though he may be 
kind and tender when sober. 

Does a person have to be intoxicated in 
order to have his brain harmed ? No^ indeed. 
Even small doses, long continued^ often 
weaken the mind. A person who has a weak 
mind is not likely to succeed in life. He can- 
not think or w^ork well. His sense of right is 
dulled; and even if he sees what is right his will 
is so weak that he fails to act as he should. 

A man frequently knows that he is ruining 
himself with alcoholic liquors^ and he resolves 
that he will stop using them. But his appetite 
for alcoholic drinks is too often stronger than 
his will, and so he keeps on drinking. 

No one can afford to run the slightest risk 
of forming a habit that may result in such 
great injury. 

Tobacco and the Brain. — It is a sad fact that 
many young boys are forming a habit that 



THE BRAIN, SPINAL CORD, AND NERVES 119 

will harm their brains. Any boy who keeps 
his eyes open must see that tobacco has this 
effect. Those who use it are generally the 
poorest students in the school. Do you want 
to know where to find the boy who smokes? 
Well^ never go to the head of the class for 
him. Look down toward the foot of the class. 
Tobacco so aff^ects the brain that besides 
making a boy a poorer scholar than he would 
otherwise be^it often leads him to be deceitful 
and untruthful. 



CHAPTER XXIV 



THE SENSE OF SIGHT 



How the Eyes are Protected. — Did you ever 
notice how well the eyes are protected ? No 
harm can easily come to them from the back 
or from the sides. In fact^ they are well sur- 




FiG. 26. 



rounded by bone except in the front, which 
must be left open for the light to enter. 

There are other ways in w^hich the eyes are 
protected. Notice the eyelids^ how freely and 
quickly they can be moved. Of what use are 
those little delicate hairs, called the lashes, on 
the edges of the lids ? They kee23 dust and 
insects from touching the eyeball. 



toE SENSE OF SIGHT 121 

The Pupil. — Look at the eyes of one of 
your friends. Do you notice that round black 
spot? It is called the pupil. It is only 
a round hole. What is this for? To let 
the light into the eye. All the light goes 
through the pupil. 

Ask one of your friends to go to the window^ 
where the light can fall directly on the eye. 
Look carefully now at this little pupil^ and 
notice that it is getting smaller and smaller. 
Now have your friend cover his eye with his 
hand for a minute or two. Be ready to look 
quickly, as soon as he removes his hand. 
When he removes it, notice that the pupil is 
much larger. 

Why the Pupil Changes. — From this change 
we learn that when the light is bright the 
pupil is small, but when the light is dim the 
pupil is large. Did you ever see the pupil of 
a cat's eye ? When next you see a cat notice 
what a long narrow slit the pupil of his eye is. 
If you cover the eye for a moment, or take 
the cat into a darker room, the pupil becomes 
very large and round. 



122 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

Why does the pupil change so ? It grows 
large in the dark in order to let more light 
into the eye. If it stayed equally large when 
we w^ere out in the sunshine too much light 
would go into the eye. 

Have you ever seen a person who is blind ? 
HoAv sad is such a misfortune^ and how^ brave 
many are in " making the best of it/^ Some 
of you may have been obliged to remain in a 
darkened room^ because you had some trouble 
with your eyes. How you wished once more 
to be out in the bright daylight! Indeed, we 
hardly realize unless we lose it what a precious 
gift is the sense of sight. 

The Care of the Eyes. — You should remem- 
ber a few things that may aid you in preserv- 
ing your eyes and in keeping them strong : It 
your eyes are red or inflamed, or if reading 
gives you a headache^ or if any use of the 
eyes gives you pain, you should consult a phy- 
sician at once. Do not do such foolish things 
as squinting, trying to look cross-eyed, or 
turning the eyes in an unnatural way. Look- 
ing at bright lights, such as the sun or 



THE SENSE OF SIGHT 123 

electric lights^ is also injurious. It is worth 
while to be careful of the eyes. When injured 
in any way they are slow^ in recovery^ and 
many times they are never right again. 

If you should chance to get some dirt or 
dust into the eyes^ some one may remove this 
for you by carefully wiping the eye with the 
folded corner of a soft handkerchief. Do not 
rub the eyes. 

It is a well-known fact that alcohol^ even 
in the lighter liquors^ such as cider^ beer^ and 
wine^ often injures the sense of sight. 

Do you remember what we said about the 
red eyes of the hard drinker? Sometimes 
they are so affected that they look bloodshot 
all the time. It is useless for such a person to 
ask the doctor to cure his eyes as long as he 
uses strong drink. 

Tobacco smoke is bad for the eyes. It 
weakens and inflames them^ and often makes 
the eyelids red along the edges. 



CHAPTER XXV 

SMELL^ TASTE^ TOUCH^ AND HEARING 

Smell. — Is not the odor from the apple 
orchard, when it is in full bloom, most delight- 
ful ? And who does not enjoy the perfume of 
the rose ? The sense of smell is useful to us in 
many ways. It enables us to enjoy more fully 
many fruits and flowers. It also tells of the 
presence of things that are harmful to the body. 
You do not like to eat food that has a tainted 
smell. Neither do you like to breathe air in 
which there is a bad odor. 

Taste. — Do you like the taste of olives? 
And did you^ the first time you tried to eat 
them ? How is it with tomatoes and oysters ? 
Do you like them now, and were you always 
fond of them ? Sometimes things which were 
disagreeable to us at first finally become very 
agreeable. Thus we learn that the sense of 
taste can be educated. 



I 



SMELL, TASTE, TOUCH, AND HEARING 125 

Tobacco greatly affects the taste. The 
tongue^ and all the tissues around the mouthy 
become filled with the flavor of tobacco. 
This flavor remains in the mouth all the time^ 
thus preventing the person from enjoying the 
true taste of anything. Notice that the 
tobacco user is fond of spices and strong 
" relishes.^^ You can now understand why. 

Touch.— We asked in the last chapter if 
you had ever seen a blind person. If so^ did 
you ever see him read one of his books by 
passing his fingers over the letters ? They are 
sometimes like the letters on this page^ but are 
slightly raised above the surface of the paper^ 
just high enough to be felt by the finger as 
they are passed lightly over the letters. It 
would be very dif&cult for us to read them. 
This shows how highly the sense of touch 
can be trained. This sense is in the skin^ and 
extends over the whole body. 

Hearing. — Do not think that what you can 
see on the side of the head is all there is to 
the ear. The real organ of hearing is deep in 
the bones back of the ear. The part you call 



126 A PRIMER OF HEALTH 

the ear is of use only to catch the sound and 
to send it along a canal to the deeper parts. 

It is a great misfortune to lose the hearings 
yet how careless many persons are about pre- 
serving it! You should not clean the ears 
with a pin^ nor with any other hard substance. 
By failing to observe this rule trouble is often 
caused^ which results in a gradual failing of 
the hearing. 

Did you ever shout loudly in any one's ear ? 
You certainly will never do it again, after you 
learn that it might cause deafness. Blows on 
the ears are always dangerous. You should 
not allow cold air to blow into your ears; 
it often causes a cold from which serious 
troubles with the ear may follow. 



INDEX 



Abdomen, 102. 
Air, effect of bad, 50. 
in sleeping rooms, 48. 
need of fresh, 48. 
Alcohol as a poison, 54, 64. 

effect of, on the brain, 117. 
on the growth, 112. 
on the lungs, 51. 
on the muscles, 85. 
on the sight, 123. 
on thirst, 66. 

on the warmth of the 
body, 88. 
growth of taste for, 61, 66, 

118. 
in fruit juice, 53, 60, 63. 
in the Tropics, 90. 
Arteries, 34. 

pulse in the, 30. 

Bathixg, value of, 39, 95. 
Beer, 58. 

effect of, 61. 

home-made, 62. 
Blood, 28. 

coloring of the, 29. 

purification of the, 43. 

venous, 42. 
Blood-vessels, 34, 37. 

effect of liquor on, 40. 
Bones, care of the, 108. 

hardening of the, 98. 

lime in the, 11. 

number of, 98. 



Bones — 

of the arm, 103. 
chest, 102. 
foot, 105. 
head, 100. 
leg, 104. 
trunk, 101. 
use of the, 97. 
Brain, 113. 

effect of alcohol on the, 117. 

tobacco on the, 118. 
work of the, 113. 
Bread, hot, 15. 
Breathing, 43. 

of tobacco -smoke, 50. 

Caxdy, 8. 

Chill, treatment of, 51. 

Cider, 61. 

Cigarettes, effects of, 71, 112. 

Clothing at night, 87. 

choice of, 86. 

tight, 39, 47, 110. 
Coffee, 26. 

Desseets, 16. 
Digestion, 17, 21. 

organs of, 21. 

process of, 23. 
Drink, what to, 8, 15. 

what not to, 24, 25. 

Eaes, care of the, 126. 
Eating, what to avoid in, 24. 



128 



INDEX 



Exercise, benefits of, 39, 82. 

injurious, 84. 

place for, 84. 
Eyelids, 120. 
Eyes, care of the, 122. 

protection of the, 120. 

pupil of the, 121. 

Fermentation, alcoholic, 54. 
Ferments, 55. 

floating, 56, 59. 
Foods, desirable, 6, 16. 

fruit, 7. 

sweet, 8. 

undesirable, 16, 25. 
Fruit, canned, 5Q. 

Gasteic juice, 21. 
Glands, oil, 92. 
sweat, 93. 
Growth, 1. 

Hearing, sense of, 125. 
Heart, action of, 31. 

care of the, 38. 

cavities of the, 33. 

effect of tobacco on the, 40. 

location and size of the, 32. 

palpitation of the, 40. 

Intestines, 22. 

Joints, use of, 105. 

Ligaments, 106. 
Lime in the bones, 11. 
Lungs, 44. 

effect of alcohol on the, 51. 
tobacco on the, 51. 

Marrow, 98. 

Meats, which to choose, 13, 16. 



Muscles, 76. 

control of, 77. 

effect of alcohol on, 85. 

needs of, 81. 

number of, 78. 

use of, 77, 80. 

Nerves, 115. 
Nicotine, 69. 

Perspiration, 94. 

danger of checking, 96. 
Pulse, 36. 

Saliva, 17. 

use of, 21. 
Salt, need of, 10. 

as a flavor, 15. 
Senses, 117. 
Shoes, need of well-fitting. 111. 

evils of high- heeled. 111. 
Skin, 91. 

pores of the, 93. 
Sleep, 114. 

when to, 115. 
Smell, sense of, 124. 
Spices, 15. 
Spinal cord, 115. 
Stomach, cause of trouble in, 15, 

17, 25. 
Sugar made from grain, 58. 

Taste, sense of, 124. 
Tea, 26. 
Teeth, 17. 

care of, 18. 
Temper, dangers of bad, 39. 
Tendons, 79. 

Throat, effect of tobacco on, 51. 
Tobacco, 69. 

as a poison, 69. 



INDEX 



129 



Tobacco — 

effects of, on the brain, 117, 
118. 
on the digestion, 26. 
on the heart, 40. 
on the lungs, 51. 
on the sight, 123. 
on the taste, 125. 
on the young, 70. 
laws against, 71. 
reasons for avoiding, 73. 
Touch, sense of, 125. 



Vegetables, which to choose, 

14, 16. 
Veins, 34. 

Water, iced, 10. 

impure, 10. 

necessity of drinking, 9. 

quantity of, in the body, 9. 

with meals, 19. 
Windpipe, 20. 
Wine, 63. 

home-made, 63. 



i.iaY 29 U«?u 



